He has been clinical in India's recent T20I series victory against Australia.
The left-arm spinner’s exclusion from the upcoming T20I series against South Africa has generated considerable discussion. In a surprising move, Ravindra Jadeja, another left-arm spinner who hasn’t played a T20I since August 2022 was appointed as vice-captain for the tour.
Indian all-rounder Axar Patel delivered a standout performance in the fourth T20I against Australia in Raipur on Friday (December 1), earning him the Player of the Match title with impressive figures of 3/16. Despite facing challenges in the past couple of months, marked by his unfortunate exclusion from the 2023 World Cup due to a quadriceps injury, Axar showcased resilience and skill to contribute significantly to India’s series-sealing victory.
Axar Patel expressed his sentiments regarding the situation by sharing action shots from the Raipur match on social media.
Accompanying the images was a cryptic note, likely alluding to his omission from the T20I squad for the South African tour. He wrote: “Move in silence. Only speak when it’s time to say checkmate 🙏🏻🇮🇳”
While it may appear that Axar Patel aimed to make a statement through his stellar performance in Raipur, he clarified that his focus remained on contributing to the team’s success rather than dwelling on his non-selection for the T20Is against South Africa.
ALSO READ: ‘We don’t need outsiders’ – Gautam Gambhir makes a bold claim about India’s coaching setup
Speaking after the 4th T20I in Raipur, Axar said, “These things [selection] are not in my hand. It’s not like my name is not there, so I am fired up. It could be the opposite as well. If I had gone for a few, people would have said I was upset. It works both ways. Nothing like that, I was normal. Obviously, Jaddu bhai [Ravindra Jadeja] is coming back, so I was replaced.”
Move in silence.
Only speak when it’s time to say checkmate 🙏🏻🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/snDyaPYxPI— Akshar Patel (@akshar2026) December 2, 2023
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
