Tag: Axar Patel

ABU DHABI: India all-rounder Axar Patel has emerged as a fitness concern ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster Super Four clash against Pakistan in the ongoing ACC Asia Cup 2025.

Patel sustained a head injury on Friday during India’s final group match against Oman. The incident occurred in the 15th over of Oman’s chase when Axar sprinted in from mid-off to attempt a catch off Hammad Mirza.

He juggled the ball, lost balance, and landed head-first on the turf. The 31-year-old immediately clutched his head and neck before being helped off the field by the physio. He did not return for the remainder of the innings.

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Axar had bowled just one over for four runs before the injury, but earlier contributed with the bat, striking 26 off 13 balls in a crucial 45-run stand with Sanju Samson (56) that lifted India to 188/8.

India eventually defended the total, securing a 21-run victory.

While fielding coach T. Dilip later said Axar was “fine,” the short turnaround before the Pakistan clash in Dubai leaves question marks over his availability.

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His absence could upset India’s preferred three-spinner balance, with Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav the other frontline options. Washington Sundar and Riyan Parag are on standby as potential replacements.

India squad for Asia Cup 2025

Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

READ: Suryakumar Yadav snubs Pakistan again

India all-rounder Axar Patel has shared the thought process behind his brilliant direct hit that sent Pakistan batter Imam-ul-Haq back to the pavilion during their high-stakes ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash in Dubai on February 23.

The crucial run-out occurred in the 10th over when Imam, looking to rotate the strike after Babar Azam’s dismissal, attempted a quick single against left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav.

However, Axar was quick to react, gathering the ball swiftly and nailing a direct hit at the non-striker’s end. Imam was caught short, departing for just 10 runs, leaving Pakistan struggling at 47/2 in 9.2 overs.

Reflecting on the moment, Axar Patel revealed that he had visualized the dismissal even before the delivery, anticipating that Imam-ul-Haq might attempt a risky run.

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“The ball before, I was already thinking that he might look for a quick single, and if he did, I could execute a direct hit,” Axar told the ICC.

“I was standing a few steps back but charged in quickly. The movement played out exactly as I expected, and I was able to hit the stumps directly.”

The Indian all-rounder further explained that he had done his homework on Imam’s tendencies, noting that the left-hander often looks for quick singles, especially against spinners.

“When I came on to bowl during the powerplay, he had taken a single through mid-off where Harshit Rana was fielding,” he added.

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“I had seen in videos that he frequently steps out against spinners to sneak quick runs. So, I had this scenario in mind, and when the moment came, I was ready.”

Pakistan’s batting woes continued in the match as they failed to post a challenging total against their arch-rivals. After being bundled out for 241, India chased down the target comfortably with six wickets in hand, thanks to a masterful century by Virat Kohli.

With back-to-back losses against New Zealand and India, Pakistan’s title defense came to an early end as they crashed out of the tournament before the semifinals.

The Green Shirts will now face Bangladesh in their final group-stage match on February 27 in Rawalpindi, but the result will have no bearing on their campaign.

READ: Jason Gillespie surprised over THESE players’ exclusion from Champions Trophy squad

DUBAI: Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been ruled out of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 due to a knee injury, his counterpart Axar Patel is named as his replacement.

Jadeja, who played a crucial knock in India’s successful run chase against Pakistan in the high-octane clash of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022, has now been ruled out of the continental event due to an injury.

“Ravindra Jadeja has sustained a right knee injury and is ruled out of the tournament,” the BCCI said in its statement.

Patel, on the other hand, who has been named as Jadeja’s replacement, was previously named as one of the standbys in the squad and will join the team in Dubai soon.

It is pertinent to mention here that the defending champions India have already booked their place in the Super Fours of the Asia Cup 2022 by defeating Pakistan and Hong Kong in group matches.

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Dubai: India have made one change to their T20 World Cup squad as all-rounder Shardul Thakur replaces spinner Axar Patel.

The All-India Senior Selection Committee after a discussion with the team management has added Shardul Thakur to the main squad. All-rounder Axar Patel, who was part of the 15-member squad will now be on the list of stand-by players,” BCCI said in a statement.

India’s squad for ICC T20 World Cup: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Chahar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami

Stand-by players: Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Axar Patel

Meanwhile, BCCI have also announced that eight cricketers will join the team bubble in Dubai and assist squad members in their preparations. They are:

Avesh Khan, Umran Malik, Harshal Patel, Lukman Meriwala, Venkatesh Iyer, Karn Sharma, Shahbaz Ahmed and K. Gowtham.

Read: Malik gets wild card entry in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup