Axar Patel has been going through an amazing time in his cricketing career lately. After doing well in the IPL 2020 in UAE, he made his Test debut against England in February. English batsmen were left clueless by Axar as he picked up 27 wickets in three Tests and helped India to win the Test series by 3-1 despite losing the first game of the series.
However, his IPL 2021 didn’t start well on a good note as he picked up coronavirus before the commencement of the tournament. This forced him to miss the first four games of the season but he made an instant impact with his arrival in the playing XI.
Also Read: Axar Patel reveals how he convinced Rishabh Pant to let him bowl the super-over
Axar was instrumental in helping Delhi Capitals to win against Sunrisers Hyderabad when the game was decided in a super over.
He had already picked 2 wickets for 26 runs in his four overs before coming back to bowl the super over as well. He gave away only seven runs against the likes of David Warner and Kane Williamson. DC chased this target with ease to strengthen its position in the points table.
Talking about that game, Axar revealed he knew either he can become a hero or zero.
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“Because the pitch was aiding spinners, I thought I or Ashwin would be bowling the Super Over. But then I saw the think tank gathered around Avesh Khan. When I asked (Steve) Smith, he told me that Avesh will bowl the Super Over. I was confident that I could do better than Avesh under the conditions,” Axar Patel told India TV.
“I then went up to Rishabh (Pant) and said that I can bowl the Super Over without conceding many runs. Pant consulted coach Ricky (Ponting), and he gave the captain the freedom to take the final call. I knew I could either become a hero or a zero. For a few moments, my heartbeat did increase. But I had the confidence and mental strength to pull me through.”
The IPL 2021 came to a premature halt when the coronavirus breached into the bio-bubble and several players were tested positive for it. Now, BCCI is planning to host the remaining 31 games in UAE once Team India will finish the Test series against England in September.
