Indian cricket team’s prominent spin all-rounder, Axar Patel, has shared insights into his standout performance during the recent ICC T20 World Cup 2024, where India clinched the title in Barbados last month.
Patel played a pivotal role with both bat and ball throughout India’s victorious campaign in the USA and West Indies, tallying nine wickets at an impressive average of 19.2 and an economy rate of 7.9. Reflecting on his memorable moments, Patel highlighted England captain Jos Buttler’s dismissal in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2024 as his personal favorite wicket.
Axar Patel reveals his favorite T20 World Cup 2024 moments with the ball
However, he also revealed two more of his favorite dismissals. In his very first ball, Axar made an instant impact with a crucial breakthrough for India. He delivered a length ball on off-stump that unexpectedly gripped and spun, and Buttler attempted a reverse sweep, but the ball took the edge of the bat and popped up.
Rishabh Pant had a simple catch to complete as Axar Patel claimed a crucial wicket. Patel’s delivery skidded straight through, and he dismissed Jonny Bairstow for a duck. The ball was full and just outside off-stump, deceiving Bairstow who expected it to turn but instead saw it hit the off-stump.
Reflecting on his motivation, Axar Patel mentioned the 2022 T20 World Cup match where England chased down the target without losing a wicket, which inspired him. Patel added that these wickets, including Marcus Stoinis, hold special significance to him.
Jos Buttler’s wicket stands out for me because of what happened in the 2022 World Cup: Axar Patel
Stoinis tried a daring reverse sweep against Axar Patel’s flat delivery aimed at the off-stump. He made solid contact, but unfortunately for him, the ball went directly to Hardik Pandya stationed at backward point. Despite the ball arriving quickly and bouncing slightly, Pandya maintained his composure and took the catch cleanly during the Super-8 encounter between India and Australia at the T20 World Cup 2024.
Axar Patel was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz: “It’s a very difficult question. My personal favorite was the first wicket against England in the semifinal, getting Jos Buttler out. The second was clean bowling Jonny Bairstow, and the third was dismissing Marcus Stoinis against Australia. The Buttler wicket stands out for me because of what happened in the 2022 World Cup.
I was there when they chased our score without losing a wicket. That memory was on my mind, and I was determined to do well for the team, no matter what. I bowled my first over in the PowerPlay, taking out Buttler, and then I clean bowled Bairstow with an arm ball in my second over of PowerPlay. He failed to read my delivery and missed it.”
