Dubai, UAE: Before the important match against Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Team India captain Rohit Sharma shared exciting news about player Axar Patel. He said that during the recent series against England, the team told Axar he would always bat at number five, no matter what happens in the game. This decision paid off as Axar performed really well.
In the first innings of a match, India was in trouble at 30 runs with three players out. Axar came in to bat alongside Shreyas Iyer, and the two of them worked hard to put together a partnership of 98 runs from 136 balls. Axar scored 42 runs from 61 balls, hitting three fours and a six during his time at the crease.
As a bowler, Axar also did a great job, taking one wicket and giving away only 32 runs in his 10 overs in the second innings. Rohit praised Axar, saying, “We clearly told him that he would bat at number five when we started the ODI series against England. He has shown amazing improvement in his batting skills over the last year. He likes to play big shots and take risks, which can be helpful when the team is in a tough spot.”
Since 2016, Axar has batted at number five seven times, scoring 227 runs with a strike rate of 90.43 and an average of 37.83, including one half-century with a top score of 52. Recently, in the ODI series against England, he scored 52 runs in one match and an unbeaten 41 in another. Rohit also remembered Axar’s important innings in the T20 World Cup Final, where he helped India recover after losing three quick wickets against South Africa.
“He really helped our team in the T20 World Cup final, and his performance was fantastic. He stepped up when we needed him the most, and that’s what we want from him. Whenever he plays, he surprises us with just how well he can do. He’s improved a lot, and it’s great to have players like him in the team,” Rohit added.
