Delhi Capitals (DC) director of cricket Sourav Ganguly said left-arm spinner Axar Patel has cemented his place in the Indian squad for the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup. He left out Virat Kohli as an integral part of the Indian squad.
Sourav Ganguly highlighted Axar Patel’s batting prowess and described him as a talented and gifted all-rounder.
India’s selectors will meet Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid this week to finalize the squad for the T20 World Cup, scheduled for June in the West Indies and the USA. While some players have secured their spots, there is significant consideration regarding the remaining positions.
The selection of the spin bowling all-rounder is a key issue for India’s T20 World Cup squad. Ravindra Jadeja seems to be the favorite but Axar Patel is also in the running. There is a possibility that both left-handers could make it into the squad for the upcoming ICC tournament.
Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel are certainties – Sourav Ganguly
Ahead of the match against Mumbai Indians (MI), Sourav Ganguly expressed his confidence over the inclusion of Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel in the Indian team. Ganguly mentioned Rohit Sharma’s preference for a deep batting lineup.
“Axar is a certainty. Both Rishabh and Axar are certainties for me in the T20 World Cup. The way things are going in T20, Rohit will want someone to come in at number 8 and bat, giving Axar the 15-20 runs.” he can do that easily, and if he needs someone to bat spinners, Axar can do that too. That’s the advantage of Jadeja and Axar, they are so talented and gifted.” Ganguly said.
Axar Patel has scored 123 runs in 7 innings at an average of 24.60 and a strike rate of 132.26. His standout performance came against Gujarat Titans when he was promoted to No.3. He scored 66 runs off 43 balls, including five boundaries and four sixes, as DC scored 224 runs. He has taken seven wickets at an average of 31.29 and an impressive economy rate of 7.06.
He is a great cricketer – Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly highlighted Axar Patel’s ability to perform under pressure in Test matches. He noted that Patel needs some more time to settle in and continue scoring in the T20s. Ganguly described the 30-year-old as a very talented cricketer.
“You should have the ability to hit the ball. In T20 cricket you don’t have to have time for technique. But your fundamentals should be there, and they always have been. If you see his batting in Tests for India, he gets runs under pressure while turning pitches.”
“He has the ability to bat but in T20 you need the ability to bat and he does that when he is pushed up and has a bit more time to settle down and keep batting. He is a great cricketer – bats, balls, fields. He has the ability to bat and can play T20 cricket. He is a very talented cricketer. Ganguly further added.
The Gujarat-born cricketer has represented India in 52 matches in the short format. He has scored 361 runs at an average of 19.0 and an impressive strike rate of 144.4. He has also taken 49 wickets at a decent economy rate of 7.27.
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