Indian all-rounder Axar Patel was injured when a ball hit him on his bowling hand in Nagpur.
After starting of the five-match T20I series with a bang in Nagpur, the Men in Blue made two changes for the second T20I. While one was an unforced change in the form of Jasprit Bumrah, the other was forced in the form of Axar Patel, who took a blow in Nagpur.
The Indian left-handed all-rounder injured himself while trying to stop a ball off his own bowling. Soon, there was blood oozing out of the index finger of his bowling hand, which raised further concerns over the availability of Axar Patel for the mega-tournament.
That being said, Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Yadav were included into the side in place of Axar and speedster Jasprit Bumrah.
The Men in Blue, without Axar Patel will certainly lose a bit of balance in the lower-middle order, considering his batting abilities. That being said, the inclusion of Harshit Rana will add up to the balance of the side.
Moreover, Axar is the only option in the current Indian setup to take the ball away from the right-hander – a gap that Kuldeep Yadav will not be able to fill. It is pretty safe to say that the left-handed all-rounder is a vital part of the Indian unit.
The Indian management will hope for a quick recovery for Axar Patel after his injury. Though the medical team is yet to officially announce the situation with respect to his recovery, he will probably be fit for the 3rd T20I.
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