Veteran Indian left-arm spinner Axar Patel didn’t do well with the ball against South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup final. He gave away 49 runs in his four overs, picking up the wicket of Tristan Stubbs only. He also had an expensive final over when Heinrich Klaasen smashed him for 24 runs. Despite being smashed for fours and sixes, Axar Patel shared how captain Rohit Sharma kept encouraging him.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Axar Patel said, “In the final, when Heinrich Klaasen was aggressive against me, Rohit approached me and reassured me, saying, ‘It’s alright. You bowled your best. If he hits a good shot, there’s not much you can do. Just focus on the next ball.’ His support and encouragement boosted my confidence. After I completed the over, he tapped my shoulder and said, ‘Well done. Don’t worry.'”

Axar Patel believes Rohit’s words helped him pick himself up and that’s why he feels man-management is one of Rohit Sharma’s impressive
leadership qualities as well. He also credited Rohit for having different plans for different oppositions and feels that is one of the reasons why Rohit has won five Indian Premier League titles as well.

“Rohit Sharma is a brilliant captain. If you observed his captaincy during the World Cup, you wouldn’t find a set formula. In some games, I bowled two overs in the PowerPlay, while in others, Jasprit Bumrah bowled early. There wasn’t a specific pattern. Similarly, in batting, I didn’t always move up the order. In the final, Shivam Dube batted ahead of Hardik Pandya. It was all very tactical, showcasing his ability to think strategically in different situations, determining which player would perform best,” Axar Patel concluded.