Times of India in Dubai: If Axar Patel were in the entertainment industry, he would have played any role with consummate ease, much like he does for the Indian cricket team. Ask him to bowl the tough powerplay overs and he’s up for it. Need a wicket? He’ll deliver. Need to plug the flow of runs? He’ll keep hammering a tight line until the batters crack.And it’s not just his left-arm spin. He can bat anywhere in the order, in any situation. Remember the World Cup final against South Africa in Barbados last year? India were wobbling at 34/3 when Axar strode out. His crucial cameo virtually took the game away from the Proteas, setting the stage for Virat Kohli to anchor the innings. Then there’s his fielding — his reach and athleticism make him a livewire on the boundary.It was on the back of such exploits that the selectors named him vice-captain of the T20I side. But in a surprising move, he was replaced by Shubman Gill for the Asia Cup. Former India batter Mohammad Kaif, who has worked closely with the Gujarat allrounder at Delhi Capitals, expressed his disappointment. “I hope the selectors informed him before removing him as vice-captain. In our days, we often learned through friends or the media that we were dropped, and that was really troubling. For me, he’s a very important player but seldom gets credit. He is the backbone of the Indian team. People talk about Kohli’s performance in the 2024 World Cup final but Axar should have been man of the match on that day. “He came in at No. 5 and scored a crucial 47 off 31 balls, striking four sixes. That allowed Virat to bat at his own pace. It was the turning point of the game — without those runs, India would have lost.”Axar was one of the unsung heroes of India’s T20 World Cup triumph in the USA and West Indies in June last year. He took nine wickets in eight matches at 19.22, with an economy rate of 7.86, and chipped in with 92 runs at a strike rate of 139.39. His one-handed diving catch to dismiss Australian captain Mitchell Marsh in St. Lucia is still talked about. But his best came when it mattered most — in the semi-final and the final.Against England in the semi-final, he returned with figures of 3/23 in four overs to help bundle them out for 103 in 16.4 overs, setting up a 68-run win in Providence. In the final, after being promoted up the order, he counterattacked under pressure and later claimed the key wicket of Tristan Stubbs.Kaif also questioned Axar’s omission from the Test squad. “I wonder why he was dropped from the Test team. He did no wrong. He has the game for any kind of conditions. That’s why I keep stressing the need for proper communication between selectors and players,” he said.Chief selector Ajit Agarkar clarified that Axar’s vice-captaincy was always meant to be temporary. “Gill was vice-captain when we toured Sri Lanka. After that, he was busy with Test cricket. We obviously see leadership qualities in him, and his form in England exceeded our expectations,” Agarkar said.Named as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy for the England series, Axar continued to deliver, finishing as India’s second-highest wicket-taker behind Varun Chakaravarthy with six wickets in five matches at 16.50, as India clinched the series 4-1. On Sunday against Pakistan, he struck again with key dismissals of Fakhar Zaman and Salman Ali Agha.Following the seven-wicket victory, Captain Surya was effusive in his praise for the allrounder. “He has been around the Indian team for a very, very long time, so he knows his job really well. His plans are clear. Whenever I see him at practice, he bowls a lot to left-handers — that’s his matchup.”
