Axar Patel credited for helping India avoid the same problem as 2023 World Cup: 'Damn good idea...'

Axar Patel has been credited for giving much-needed flexibility to the Indian middle-order.

Updated on: Feb 23, 2025, 11:42:37 IST

By Vishesh Roy

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Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar firmly believes in having the left-right combination in the middle. He backed Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir's strategy of having Axar Patel at No.5 ahead of KL Rahul. In the last few ODIs, beginning with the series against England, India have opted to have a right-left combination in the middle, and this tactic has resulted in KL Rahul dropping to No.6.

Axar Patel credited for giving flexibility to India's middle order. (PTI)

In the Champions Trophy fixture against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium, Axar Patel came at No.5. However, he failed to get going as he scored eight runs.

In the end, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill took India over the line with six wickets in hand and 21 balls to spare. Rahul remained unbeaten on 41.

India vs Pakistan Champions Trophy 2025 LIVE

Sanjay Manjrekar praised Axar Patel for giving the Indian middle-order much-needed solidarity. Ahead of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy match against Pakistan, he also said that KL Rahul needs to be ready to bat at any position, as playing in the middle-order comes with its own challenges.

"KL Rahul got some time in the last game, which is good, but I guess Axar comes in only to make sure there's a left-hand right-hand combination, and if there's a left-hand spinner bowling or a leg spinner who's major main delivery is the leg spinner then makes sense for a left-hander to come in and Axar Patel has been brilliant," said Sanjay Manjrekar, JioHotstar Expert, while replying to a Hindustan Times query during a select media interaction.

"Actually, one of the things that I was worried about was the batting lineup with all those right-handers. I thought India would have the same problem they had in the 2023 World Cup, where the first left-hander was Jadeja. But Axar Patel going up the order, it's a damn good sort of idea that they have got working. And KL Rahul, hopefully, when he gets more time in, but that will be his job. If you're batting at number five, in limited over cricket, or five or six, something that comes with that position," he added.

'Amazing that Rishabh Pant is on the bench'

Sanjay Manjrekar also said it is amazing to see a talent like Rishabh Pant warming the bench. KL Rahul has been playing ahead of Pant as the first-choice wicketkeeper.

It remains to be seen whether Pant gets a look in. However, it looks unlikely as KL Rahul played a crucial 41-run knock in India's Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh in Dubai.

"It's amazing that somebody like Rishabh Pant is on the bench; it shows the kind of quality India has," said Sanjay Manjrekar.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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