India’s star all-rounder Axar Patel is celebrating his 30th birthday today. The last few years have been rewarding for Axar as he has stepped up his game. His all-round game has really become an asset not just for India but for Delhi Capitals as well. The all-rounder has used his bowling skills very prudently and his batting has also gone a notch up.
Axar Patel burst onto the scene for the first time in 2014 when he had a notable season for Kings XI Punjab in IPL. His performances in the IPL gave him a push for the India selection and the all-rounder from Gujarat got a maiden call-up only a month later. He played his first match for India against Bangladesh at Mirpur. It was an ODI game and he had to wait for his debut in T20Is as he played his first T20I match a year later. He made his debut in the shortest format in 2017 against Zimbabwe at Harare.
A complete package
In the early stage of his career, Axar’s game was predominantly about bowling. But in the last few years he has worked a lot on his batting and the result is evident. He has delivered numerous impactful batting performances in the recent past for both the country and the franchise.
Not just in limited-overs cricket but whenever he has been given an opportunity in Test cricket, he has tried to create a difference with both his batting and bowling. Axar made his debut in the red-ball cricket in 2021 against England and he impressed everyone in his debut series.
He almost made his place in the ODI World Cup squad for India but an unfortunate injury kept him out of action. However, his recent performances for the Men in Blue are an encouraging sign and the all-rounder might get an opportunity to feature in the squad for the T20 World Cup and he would surely add value if he is included in the squad.