Veteran left-arm spinner Axar Patel has shared that he is not thinking about trying to fix his spot in the T20 World Cup squad as of now as the marquee event is still a few months away. However, he did well for India with the ball in the first T20I against Afghanistan in Mohali on Thursday, January 11 where he registered figures of 2/23 in his allotted four overs as Afghanistan posted 158/5 as well.
Speaking at a post-match conference after India’s six-wicket win in Mohali, Axar Patel said that he was not looking too far. However, after the series against Afghanistan, India will be featured in five Tests against England, which will be followed by the IPL. When he was asked about workload management, he added that having the right mindset is important.
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“There is competition, but it depends on how you take it. It is important to focus on the process. You can’t think about the T20 World Cup from now since there are five Tests against England, followed by the IPL. So, there’s some time left for the T20 World Cup,” Axar was quoted as saying by The Sportstar. “Playing continuously has its challenges, but we do get breaks. Mindset is the key, and you cannot be too conscious.”
Two wickets in quick succession for #TeamIndia 😎@akshar2026 🤝 Shivam Dube
Afghanistan lose both the openers.
Follow the Match ▶️ https://t.co/BkCq71Zm6G#INDvAFG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/YzgqlOiRHX
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 11, 2024
However, Axar Patel claimed the wickets of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah in the first T20I. He also spoke about his stunning show in the Mohali T20I. He added that he did not get much help from the surface and also stated that the cold conditions made it tough but sticking to his basics with the ball helped him a lot to do well.
“There was no help from the pitch, the weather was also very harsh. My aim was to stick to my strength and wait for the batters to go after me. I bowled a tight line and got the wickets as the batters took a chance. As a bowler, you can’t do much on this pitch,” Axar Patel concluded.
