The left-handed all-rounder has rose up the ranks in white-ball cricket recently.
T20s are a difficult format to play in terms of creating impact in high-intensity situations. India have enjoyed great success, credit to players stepping up in all three departments. Axar Patel is one such player who has sneaked into the list of the Most Player of the Match Awards for India in Men’s T20Is.
The talented Indian left-arm all-rounder has pretty much been at the centre of the scheme of things for the Men in Blue in the shortest format. Be it a bilateral series or the Final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024, Axar Patel has always stood up for the team when a contribution was most needed. In the process of doing that, the Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper has appeared in a rare list.
The 31-year-old has etched his name amongst some of the top players the country has ever produced in the format. After receiving the ‘Man of the Match’ award in the 4th T20I between India and Australia recently, Axar Patel now has eight awards in 83 appearances in the format. He has entered the top five list of Most Player of the Match Awards for India. Players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and skipper Suryakumar Yadav lead the charts as far as Indians are concerned.
Though Suryakumar Yadav, Kohli, and Rohit rule the list in terms of their ranks, Axar Patel has jumped over Yuvraj Singh to grab the fourth spot in the list of Most Player of the Match Awards for India. What is fascinating is the rate at which he has received the awards. Eight awards in 83 matches brings the math too around an award every 10 games approximately.
Axar made his debut for the Men in Blue in 2015 against Zimbabwe, but was often in and out of the side for the next three years or so. Most of the times, he would come into the side as a replacement for all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. It is only in the later stages of his career that Axar Patel has become a mainstay in India’s starting XI.
The DC skipper played a pivotal role in India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, with his most important contribution with the bat coming in the Final. India lost a couple of quick wickets, and Axar Patel resurrected India’s charge with a brilliant 47 to take the team to a competitive total. With the ball, he took nine wickets in eight matches at an economy of 7.86, also comprising a three-wicket haul.
However, his recent award of Most Player of the Match Awards for India was in the 4th T20I against Australia Down Under. Walking out to bat at eight, Axar Patel scored a cameo, which was worth an unbeaten 21 off just 11 balls. To couple that, he also scalped two wickets in his quota of four overs, giving away just 20 runs in the bargain. As a result, the Men in Blue won the clash by 52 runs, taking a 21 lead in the series. As for the Indian all-rounder, it added another trophy to the cabinet of many.
ALSO READ:
| Player | Matches | POTM Awards |
| Suryakumar Yadav | 95 | 16 |
| Virat Kohli | 125 | 16 |
| Rohit Sharma | 159 | 14 |
| Axar Patel | 83 | 8 |
| Yuvraj Singh | 58 | 7 |
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
