‘I know that he’s a bowler’s captain’ – Axar Patel hails Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy style

Axar Patel. (Source – Getty Images)

Team India registered an excellent win against Sri Lanka in the first T20I of their ongoing white-ball series. Defeating the hosts by 43 runs, the Suryakumar-led India took the lead in the series. The game began with the visitors coming in to bat first. India put in an excellent performance and managed to score a total of 213 runs on the board.

Aiming to chase down the target, Sri Lanka did get off to a great start, with Pathum Nissanka putting in exceptional work and attacking the Indian bowlers right from the get-go. However, the excellent Indian bowlers helped the side secure the win.

Riyan Parag took three wickets, with Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel striking twice, alongside Mohammed Siraj and Ravi Bishnoi, who took one wicket each as well. After the game, star all-rounder Axar Patel came forward and heaped praise on Suryakumar Yadav for his captaincy and branded him a bowler’s captain.

“I know that he’s a bowler’s captain. He gives the bowlers a free hand, to decide on their fields, and then backs them up even if they are hit. He gives you inputs. As a player, I’ve a good bond with him, and I’ve enjoyed playing under his captaincy too,” Axar Patel said in the post-match press conference.

“Even today, I didn’t feel any change in his approach, when I was hit for runs in the first three overs, he told me what the other options were, and what can be done to get wickets,” he added.

He said there’s no problem if you’re hit for a four or a six: Patel

Furthermore, Axar Patel revealed what Suryakumar Yadav told him when he got off to a subpar start with the ball, stating that it was okay if he was getting hit for boundaries.

“He said there’s no problem if you’re hit for a four or a six. As a bowler, that gives you confidence. If your captain backs you, then you can try out other things,” Patel said.