Axar Patel shaken by Aaron Finch for Abhishek Sharma blunder: ‘Defensive mindset. Doesn’t trust himself’

Aaron Finch did not hold back in his criticism for Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel.

Updated on: Apr 22, 2026, 11:50:04 IST

Written by Aditya Bhattacharya

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Aaron Finch could make neither head nor tail of Delhi Capitals’ decision to bowl just four overs between captain Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Tuesday. Abhishek Sharma went berserk, pummelling an unbeaten 135, but while Nitish Rana, a part-time spinner, bowled his full quota of overs, Axar and Kuldeep Yadav combined to bowl the same number. That two of India’s leading spinners were not utilised to their potential left Finch, and pretty sure everyone else, scratching their heads.

Axar Patel's captaincy scrutinised by Aaron Finch (AFP)

“We've been sitting there scratching our heads, haven't we? Your two Indian premier spin bowlers, Axar Patel, the skipper [2-0-23-1], Kuldeep Yadav [2-0-30-0], they bowled four overs between them. A part-time offspinner in Nitish Rana has wheeled out four overs. To me, that makes no sense,” Finch said while speaking on ESPNCricinfo.

Also Read: INR 1 crore doubled in one night; Abhishek Sharma's 135 gives SRH dream return on investment

"It's the responsibility of your captain, your senior player, your retained player, your best bowler, Indian bowler, he's one of your core bowlers in the Indian cricket team. That's no small bit. He's a double World Cup winner. So the fact that he doesn't trust himself to execute under pressure and to defend himself against any left-handers – as soon as a left-hander walks to the crease, not for me today, thanks. To me, that says more about his attitude towards it than anything else."

Axar's got a defensive mindset

Delhi Capitals’ campaign isn’t exactly flourishing. With three wins from six matches, DC are placed fifth on the IPL 2026 points table. It makes for a funny reading because they had the opportunity to win at least two of those. David Miller fumbled against Gujarat Titans, and just last evening, KL Rahul missed a chance to run Abhishek out. Besides these game-changing moments, Finch feels the problem lies in Axar, blaming the captain of an outdated and stale approach.

Also Read: What’s the matter with KL Rahul, the benefactor of Abhishek Sharma and Ayush Mhatre? Keeping blunders non-negotiable

"He's got a great defensive mindset with the ball in hand too. He's not somebody that you know, if he's under pressure, he'll float one up in the slot. He defends himself. He changes angles. He uses his range, his height to his advantage as well. So even when you're thinking defensive, that's attacking against Abhishek Sharma when he's in a mood like that. You bowl a couple of decent balls and you know that something will happen," added Finch.

"I'm looking at those comments saying, well hang on, boss, you had the chance as well but you're not willing to stand up at the moment either," Finch said. “So I'm no issue with mis-execution. A bowler can mis-execute for a game, for a couple of games. If their planning and their preparation and their thought process is right, I've no issues whatsoever with that. Because inevitably you can't bowl 24 perfect balls. You can't get your decision-making right all the time."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aditya Bhattacharya
Aditya Bhattacharya is the Sports Editor at Hindustan Times Digital, with close to 15 years of experience in sports journalism. Over the course of his career, he has worked with leading media organisations including Cricbuzz, The Times of India, Network18 and Zee. Primarily a cricket writer, Aditya has covered several marquee events, including the 2016 ICC World T20, the 2019 ICC World Cup in England and the 2023 World Cup in India. His reporting portfolio also includes international cricket across England, South Africa and New Zealand, along with forays into tennis, including coverage of the Australian Open. He has interviewed several prominent athletes across sports. Aditya began his career with a brief stint at CricketNext before getting his first major break at Cricbuzz, where he was part of the Times Network’s startup venture GoCricket, which later merged with Cricbuzz. After nearly 18 months there, he moved to The Times of India, covering his first World Cup assignment and reporting first-hand on landmark moments such as Virat Kohli’s iconic innings against Australia in Mohali. During his three-year tenure, he played a key role in both reporting and desk operations and was recognised as TOI Employee of the Quarter in 2016. He later joined Zee, where he covered the 2019 World Cup across five venues in England—an assignment he considers a career highlight. At Hindustan Times, Aditya’s leadership came to the fore as he was promoted to lead the sports team within 18 months. Under his stewardship, the section has delivered extensive coverage of global sporting events, including the IPL, Olympics, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. In 2024, he was named HT DigiStar of the Year. Aditya continues to adapt to the evolving digital publishing landscape, with a sharp focus on search and audience engagement. Outside work, he occasionally plays the guitar and remains an avid gamer.Read More

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