New Delhi: India all-rounder Axar Patel was Friday appointed captain of Delhi Capitals for upcoming IPL on expected lines pipping another senior player KL Rahul, who has joined the team this season.

Currently team’s longest serving player, having played six seasons for Delhi since 2019, the 31-year-old was DC’s top retention for INR 16.50 crore ahead of the mega auction last November. In 82 games for Delhi, he has scored 967 runs and picked up 62 wickets at a fantastic economy rate of shade over 7.

While his IPL captaincy experience is limited, he led Gujarat in domestic cricket including the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2024-25.

He also served as India’s T20I vice-captain earlier this year and in their recent triumph in Champions Trophy Axar played a key role, taking five wickets at an economy of 4.35. He also played a key role at No 5 and scored 109 runs at 27.25.

“It is my absolute honour to captain the Delhi Capitals, and I’m deeply grateful to our owners and support staff for placing their faith in me,” stated Axar in a media release.

Axar will replace Rishabh Pant at the helm with the flamboyant keeper-batter exiting the franchise before the mega auction, and will now lead Lucknow Super Giants.

The team has seasoned players like Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Faf du Plessis, and Mitchell Starc in the leadership group, and it remains to be seen how Axar brings out the best in them to drive Delhi Capitals forward.

“I’ve grown as a cricketer and a human being during my time here at the Capitals, and I feel ready and confident to lead this side going forward.

DC, one of the three original IPL franchises yet to win a title (along with Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru), finished sixth last season with an equal win-loss record.

For IPL 2025, they have a revamped coaching setup with GMR taking management control for 2025 and 2026 season as per their understanding with co-owners JSW.

The support staff is headlined by Kevin Pietersen along with head coach Hemang Badani, director of cricket Venugopal Rao, assistant coach Matthew Mott and bowling coach Munaf Patel. Venugopal Rao’s brother Gnaneshwar Rao has also been included in the coaching set-up.

“Our coaches and scouts have done a superb job at the mega auction by putting together a balanced and robust squad which has tremendous potential.

“We have plenty of leaders in the group which is also very helpful for me, and I can’t wait to join the team as we look forward to a very successful season.”

Last season, he scored 235 runs at an average of nearly 30 and took 11 wickets at an economy of 7.65.

A veteran of 150 IPL matches, Axar has 1653 runs and 123 wickets to his name, which includes a stunning hat-trick in 2016 when he took 4 wickets in 5 balls for the Punjab franchise.

DC chairman Kiran Kumar Grandhi and co-owner Parth Jindal backed his appointment, highlighting his leadership qualities and contributions to the franchise.

“I have witnessed Axar’s progression as a cricketer and a leader first-hand at the Delhi Capitals,” stated Jindal.

“My relationship with him is one that goes beyond cricket. He is a much-loved character in the dressing room and is someone who I am sure will motivate the players in the squad.

“Axar has blossomed into a brilliant, mature cricketer whose all-round prowess was on full display in India’s T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy winning campaigns recently.

“With seniors like KL Rahul, Faf du Plessis and Mitchell Starc being part of our leadership group, I believe this is the start of something special for the Delhi Capitals.”

“This decision reflects the natural progression for him as a leader — from being our vice-captain for two seasons to now leading the team, he has always stepped up to the occasion for us,” stated Grandhi.

With Axar’s appointment, all five IPL teams who needed new captains after the mega auction have finalised their leaders: Rajat Patidar (RCB), Ajinkya Rahane (KKR), Rishabh Pant (LSG), and Shreyas Iyer (PBKS).

Delhi Capitals will kick-start their IPL 2025 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants in Visakhapatnam March 24.

New Delhi: After playing a pivotal role in India’s 2025 Champions Trophy triumph with his all-round skills, Axar Patel is now likely to be appointed as the new Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper for the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The all-rounder had stepped in to be DC’s captain in IPL 2024 when his predecessor Rishabh Pant was not allowed to play in a crucial game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) due to an over-rate offence.

“Yes, Axar Patel is likely to be named as Delhi Capitals skipper for IPL 2025. The franchise had asked for KL Rahul to be the team’s captain, but he very much wishes to contribute for the side as a player in the upcoming tournament,” sources told IANS Tuesday.

Axar has been with DC since 2019, and was retained for a whopping Rs 18 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. In his IPL career of 150 games, Axar has scored 1653 runs at a strike rate of 130.88 while picking 123 wickets with his left-arm spin bowling at an economy rate of 7.28.

Axar had been India’s vice-captain during their 4-1 T20I series win over England at home this year, but his possible elevation as DC’s captain for IPL 2025 is going to be a major test of his leadership skills, especially with the franchise still looking for their first-ever championship win.

Rahul was also a leadership contender after being roped in by the franchise for Rs 14 crore at the mega auction last year. The wicketkeeper-batter had previously led Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for two seasons each in the IPL, with the latter entering the playoffs in 2022 and 2023 season under his leadership.

But as per the sources, he will now feature for DC minus the leadership role. DC’s opening match of IPL 2025 will be against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam March 24. The side is scheduled to have a short three-day training camp in New Delhi this week, before leaving for Visakhapatnam March 17.

Dubai: Pacer Mohammed Shami returned to an ICC tournament with a five-wicket haul as Bangladesh rode on Towhid Hridoy’s maiden international century to recover from a nightmarish start and posted 228 all out against India in their opening match of the Champions Trophy here Thursday.

On the day, Shami also picked up his 200th ODI wicket.

Opting to bat, Bangladesh were off to a disastrous start and slipped 35 for five with Shami and left-arm spinner Axar Patel (2/43) doing the early damage.

Axar would have had a hat-trick if India skipper Rohit Sharma had not dropped a regulation catch from the blade of Jaker Ali (68 off 114 balls) at first slip.

The technically sound Hridoy in the company of Ali steadied the Bangladesh innings with a sixth-wicket partnership of 154 runs. Hardik Pandya dropped Towhid at mid-off when the batter was 23.

Brief scores:

Bangladesh: 228 all out in 48.4 overs (Towhid Hridoy 100, Jaker Ali 68; Mohammed Shami 5/53), Harshit Rana 3/31) vs India.

PTI

Bhubaneswar: A day before the second ODI against England at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, three players of the Indian cricket team Saturday visited Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri and sought the blessings of the trinity – Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath.

The three players – Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Axar Patel – visited the Jagannath temple early in the morning amid tight security. The players were escorted by security personnel and facilitated smooth darshan of the deities, police said.

“The darshan was very good,” Washington Sundar said.

The members of Indian cricket team are scheduled to visit Barabati Stadium in Cuttack for net practice session in the afternoon.

Read Also: As Barabati Stadium hosts 2nd India-England ODI, know about banned items and special arrangement

The police have made elaborate security arrangements for the movement of players between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh said the players will go to Barabati Stadium in Cuttack for practice session Saturday.

A traffic advisory has been issued for the convenience of the general public.

“Around 50 platoons of forces have been deployed,” the police commissioner said.

New Delhi: Ahead of the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, BCCI has directed the top national team players, including KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, to take part in Duleep Trophy, either partially or fully.

According to the Cricbuzz report, India captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been given the option to choose whether or not to participate.

Hardik Pandya is expected to be the only notable absentee among the top international players, as he has stepped away from red-ball cricket. However, despite being consistently overlooked for international assignments, selectors are likely to include Ishan Kishan in one of the four squads. Jasprit Bumrah will be exempted from domestic duties, and Mohammed Shami, who is still recovering from surgery, is also unlikely to participate in the competition, the report said.

This decision was made collectively by the BCCI and selectors, with input from new coach Gautam Gambhir. An exemption for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli was explained by a source, who noted that the two star players are overworked. “It’s up to them whether or not to play,” the report quoted a source as saying.

Rohit last appeared in a domestic match in 2021, while Kohli has not featured in a national-level game since 2015.

The inclusion of international players in domestic competitions aligns with the BCCI’s efforts to address the issue of players skipping domestic matches. Last year, the board notably excluded Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan from the central contract list as part of this policy.

The four-team Duleep Trophy, a multi-day first-class competition, will be held in a league format with no knockout games, concluding September 22.

The Karnataka State Cricket Association has confirmed that the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru will host the first of six four-day red-ball matches, starting September 5. Although Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh is the designated venue for the multi-day tournament, this particular game has been relocated to Bengaluru.

Pallekele: India all-rounder Axar Patel says new T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav is a bowlers’ captain who allows them the freedom to execute their plans.

The spin all-rounder also said that the team will look to maximise its batting combinations in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka.

Suryakumar and India made a winning start to the three-match series here Saturday when they crushed hosts Sri Lanka by 43 runs in a high-scoring opening T20I.

“I played in the last Australia series with Surya bhai (as captain). I know that he is a bowlers’ captain. He gives you free hand (in a way) that you decide first,” Axar said at the post-match press conference on Saturday.

“Whenever you get hit, he comes and says that it was a good ball. He keeps giving you inputs. As a player, there is a good bond with him.”

Axar recalled the experience of playing under Suryakumar in the five-match T20I series against Australia in India late last year which the hosts won 4-1.

“As a captain, I have also played with him in the last five matches (against Australia) and when I was playing today, I didn’t feel much change,” he said.

“In the first three overs when we were going for runs, he was telling me that we can do this or do that and how we can take a wicket. There is no problem if a four or six goes in it. As a bowler, you get confidence from that if the captain is backing you and telling you that you can do this.”

Axar said India’s batting line-up in the opening T20I which did not feature Rishabh Pant at the top was formulated with the idea that the team maximises its left and right-hand options.

In the last assignment, the T20 World Cup which India won, Pant batted at No 3 whereas on Saturday skipper Suryakumar came out at the coveted spot and the wicketkeeper-batter dropped down to No 4.

“Our team has four lefties and four righties. If there is a left-right combination (in the middle), it becomes very hard for the bowlers to maintain the line and lengths consistently, especially with rotations with singles.”

“Now if there are four lefties, how can you use them? If you have that chance (to ensure) that there are no two lefties or two righties (in the middle) at the same time.”

“If you have that chance, if you have those players in batting, then why not use them? You also have to keep changing the batting order as per the bowling options that the opposition has got,” he added.

The spinner said the message from India’s new staff under head coach Gautam Gambhir has been that the team will not experience a major overhaul in the way it operated.

While fielding coach T Dilip has continued in his role, Abhishek Nayar, Sairaj Bahutule and Dutchman Ryan ten Doeschate are now a part of Gambhir’s support staff for this tour of Sri Lanka as positions will be finalised after the tour ends.

“I have been playing for 10 years. I have played with different coaches and captains. I don’t think a lot will change in the team,” he said.

“When we were talking in the team meeting, they also said the same thing that the coach and captain keep changing but the team remains the same and the 11 or 15 players who stay, they have to do it,” he said.

“They have told us that we will play the way we have been playing. Obviously, the coach and his input can be different. The thinking can be different, they keep telling you here and there. But there is not much change in the team’s atmosphere,” he added.

PTI

New Delhi: A week after India captain Rohit Sharma said he was not a fan of impact player rule and is hampering the growth of all-rounders, Delhi Capitals duo of Axar Patel and Mukesh Kumar have expressed their displeasure with the ruling currently being used in IPL 2024.

The impact player ruling was introduced in IPL 2023 after a successful trialling in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The rule allows all ten teams to bring in a player from the five nominated substitutes at any point in a match to replace a player in the playing eleven once the match began.

The impact player rule effectively makes an IPL match a 12-player per-side contest, while also reducing the need for an all-rounder in the game. The rule, which can also be used to get in an extra batter, has meant that batters have been able to amass big totals by smashing bowlers for runs aplenty.

“I am not a big fan of impact player rule because as an all-rounder, I know the rule will be used for a proper batter or bowler, but not for an all-rounder. We have talked about it with the core group – Rishabh (Pant), Dada (Sourav Ganguly) and Ricky (Ponting). Thing is, I can play early in the batting order.

“But if you want to give the chance to a young player, then you have to give them their position, but because of that (Impact Player rule) I have to come down the order. Like it happened in the first game (against Punjab Kings) when Abishek Porel came out as an impact player.

“Plus, IPL games are pressure situations, and with an impact player introduced if the batting unit doesn’t go well, I then have to come lower down the order,” said Axar in a press meet organised by the franchise.

Fast-bowler Mukesh echoed his views over the impact player rule. “If 12 players are not playing at the international level, then what is the need of it in IPL? With 12 players, even if four wickets are down, the next player is not scared of getting out or making the team stable, as they come and play their shots. So either the nature of tracks should be changed or 12 players should not be allowed.”

Veteran left-handed opener David Warner believes the impact player rule is taking out the all-rounders out of T20 cricket. “I won’t say the boundaries are shrinking. They’re still the same size. Look, it’s not my place to comment on the impact rule. Well, the game is evolving, right? So I think people are just trying different things.”

“My thing is, if you got 15-16 people on the bench, then you want to maximise as much as you can. Is the game going to change a lot in the next 10 years? It probably will. Where is it going to get to? I’m not sure what contest you want to see.

“I feel like it’s taken the all-round option out now. When you look at an eleven, you always had that one person in the team, whether he was a better bowling all-rounder or better batter all-rounder.

“We are adapting as cricketers, so we’re enjoying that and it’s also tactically when you’re sitting on the bench, if you’re not scoring runs, then you can put that batsman in. So, like, there’s a lot of thinking. But the rule itself, it’s up to whoever wants to make the rule and how we adapt with it,” said Warner.

Meanwhile, Sourav Ganguly, DC’s director of cricket, thought otherwise, saying good all-rounders are still present in the playing elevens of various teams in IPL 2024. “It has (affected) a little bit but good all-rounders still play, isn’t it? Hardik Pandya is still playing. You look at Rashid (Khan), he’s playing.”

“He’s in the eleven straight away, so good ones will always play. Glenn Maxwell played, obviously, he’s taken a bit of a break; Mitch Marsh played for us, although he didn’t get enough runs for us. (Ravindra) Jadeja plays for Chennai, and Nitish Reddy plays for (Sunrisers) Hyderabad.

“Russell and Narine play for KKR. But good ones will always be apart because they contribute either with the bat or ball. I don’t think it diminishes the all-rounder’s role but then for average all-rounders you have the option of bringing in a better batsman and a better bowler, but the good ones will always find a place in the side.”

Ponting thinks the Impact Player rule is causing two things to happen in IPL 2024: high scores and mindset change of batting in the format. “It’s a bit of both: batting skills have got better as well. Plus, the mindset has changed a little bit and I think the impact player is also helping. So when you put all those three things together, that’s why you’re seeing these 250 plus scores being made.

“What we saw in our game the other night (against SRH) was incredible. For a team to get 125 in the powerplay and then we had the second highest powerplay total ever in IPL history and we were still 40 runs behind – that goes to show how good SRH were,” he said.

“But also our batting the other night, I mean, we were well and truly on target. So we were doing some good things as well. But the impact player is definitely helping. You can stack your batting at the top. You can allow your batters to go out and play with freedom and then if you get in trouble, you can bring a batsman in to try and fix things up.

“So it’s definitely helping and I’ve been asked the last couple of weeks about that as well. Do I think it’s good or bad for the game? It’s not ideal for a coach and it’s probably not ideal that you haven’t just got 11 versus 11 in the way that the traditional game has always been played.”

“But I think the fans are probably enjoying seeing 270 runs being scored in innings of a T20 game. At the end of the day, we have to understand that this is an entertainment package that we’re putting on the field. If the fans are enjoying it, then this rule will probably stay, Ponting added.

Visakhapatnam: Shubman Gill struck a timely century (104) as India reached 227 for six at tea for an overall lead of 370 runs on the third day of the second Test against England, here Sunday.

Gill banished an ordinary runs of scores to make 104 from 147 balls with the help of 11 fours and two sixes, while his 89-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Axar Patel took India’s lead beyond the 350-run mark.

KS Bharat (6 not out) and Ravichandran Ashwin (1 not out) are at the crease.

Both Gill and Patel were dismissed in close succession but their partnership put India in the front against England, who had made plenty of inroads in the morning session with four wickets.

While Gill was able to bring up his personal milestone of a third Test century, Patel fell short of his fifty as he was dismissed for 45 off 84 balls.

Brief scores: India 396 and 227/6 in 64 overs (Shubman Gill 104, Axar Patel 45; James Anderson 2/29, Tom Hartley 2/71) vs England: 253.

PTI

Hyderabad: The Indian top-order struggled copiously against debutant England left-arm spinner Tom Hartley on a slow-turner, as the hosts stuttered to 95 for three at tea on the fourth day of the first Test here Sunday.

KL Rahul (21 batting) and Axar Patel (17 batting) are in the middle during India’s chase of 231 after England piled 420 in their second innings assisted by Ollie Pope’s splendid 196.

India still need to score 136 runs more for a favourable result from this match.

However, India’s chase started in a solid fashion with skipper Rohit Sharma (39) and his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal (15) adding 42 fuss-free runs in 11.4 overs.

Rohit even played a couple of sweeps and reverse sweeps to tackle the England tweakers, but the first hint of trouble came when Jaiswal was snaffled by Hartley (3/31).

After spotting the advancing Jaiswal, the left-arm spinner pulled his length back and the opener could only spoon a simple catch to Pope at silly point.

Two balls later, Hartley gave marching orders to Shubman Gill, who will have to think hard and long about his approach towards Test cricket before the management is forced to look elsewhere.

Hartley tossed the ball up on the off-stump and Gill’s half-hearted prod engaged Pope at silly point again as India suddenly looked in a shaky space.

But a rude shock was awaiting them as Hartley soon won a leg-before appeal against Rohit, whose attempt to play for turn brought disaster.

However, Rahul and Axar, who was promoted to No. 5 ahead of Shreyas Iyer to nullify Hartley, negated the rest of the session.

Earlier, Pope’s incandescent innings helped England set up a tough fourth innings chase for India before getting bowled out at the stroke of lunch.

Pope (196, 278b, 21×4) propped up England, who resumed from 316 for 6, as the Indian bowlers failed to make any impact.

But the lack of a Plan B was evident in the way the Indians bowled, often straying to the pads or drifting way outside the off-stump to give freebies for the Englishmen to feed on.

But Pope was not complaining either as he merrily added to the total as England flew past 400 runs in their second innings.

It was only the second time a team managed to go past that mark in second innings in India since 2012. Alastair Cook’s England did that in Ahmedabad.

Pope was helped in his endeavour by an enterprising Hartley (35) as the pair milked 80 runs off 106 balls.

They executed the pre-set strategy of playing a variety of sweeps to perfection to keep the Indians a befuddled lot.

It required a shooter from Ashwin to snap the stand. Hartley stayed back to play a length ball from the off-spinner but the ball kept low to beat his defence to smash on to the stumps’ base.

From there India managed to eke out a couple of quick wickets, including that of Pope to bring curtains to England’s innings.

Fittingly, Bumrah, best among India’s bowlers, ended his stay with a slower ball that dishevelled the stumps as Pope tried a reverse scoop.

Bumrah also fetched India’s first breakthrough in the morning session, when he had Rehan Ahmed caught behind.

Ahmed, who till then showed admirable self-restraint, chased a wide one from Bumrah to give a regulation catch to KS Bharat behind the stumps.

However, Ahmed had helped Pope to make 64 runs for the seventh wicket that extended England’s lead.

PTI

Hyderabad: The Indian spin troika rudely nudged England’s tradition-resisting plunderbats back to reality while limiting them to 215 for eight at tea in their first innings on the opening day of the first Test here Thursday.

Captain Ben Stokes (43 batting) and Mark Wood (7 batting) are keeping the visitors above the water.

In the morning, Stokes decided to bat first in the hope of making the most of a fresh surface before it gets ragged.

But his batters were woefully equipped to challenge Ravichandran Ashwin (2/55), Ravindra Jadeja (3/75) and Axar Patel (2/33) on a pitch that offered them turn and grip as early as from the ninth over.

Ashwin set in motion the process of dismantling England’s batting order in that over, though it was more of a result of Ben Duckett (32) playing for non-existent spin.

The 37-year-old managed to skid one on to beat Duckett’s defence to hit his pads.

Umpire Chris Gaffaney did not have to think long before raising his finger, and even a review could not save Duckett as England’s opening stand ended at 55.

It was also, perhaps, the most reassuring phase in England’s innings as they were able to give a peek into their ‘Bazball’ approach while scoring at five runs an over.

In fact, they milked 25 runs from the first four overs bowled by pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

But once that partnership was broken, England failed to press on against Indian spinners as Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow stumbled badly.

Axar castled Bairstow with a peach after the England batter failed to cover the spin and the ball crashed on to the top of off-stump.

It also signalled the end of a 61-run alliance for the fourth wicket between Bairstow and Root, as it kept England afloat for a while even though not in the most assured manner.

However, the dismissal of Root would haunt the visitors the most among all the other dismissals. Root is one batsman in the English line-up who can counter spin well, but here his approach was too pre-meditative to be successful.

The former captain kept on sweeping the spinners and Jadeja hit a fuller length which resulted in a top-edge to short fine leg where Jasprit Bumrah did not have to strain himself much to complete the catch.

Ben Foakes has this reputation of being a fine player of spin but on this day only struggle was visible as he departed with a 24-ball four, offering a simple catch to KS Bharat behind the wickets off Axar.

It left captain Stokes, who employed conventional and non-conventional sweeps to counter spin, to wage a lonely battle in the company of tailenders and even looked solid during his stay in the middle as well.

But then on dire occasions like the one England encountered here, even a lion-hearted warrior like Stokes can only add a modicum of respectability to the total.

PTI

Mohali: Afghanistan settled for 158/5 against India in the first T20 International here Thursday.

Mohammad Nabi was the top-scorer for the visitors, scoring a brisk 42 off 27 balls to prop up the innings.

Asked to bat first, Afghanistan skipper Ibrahim Zadran (25 off 22 balls) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (23 off 28) added 50 runs in eight overs, but they could not force the pace during their stay.

Azmatullah Omarzai chipped in with a 22-ball 29.

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel was the most successful bowler for India, with figures of 2/23, while Mukesh Kumar bagged 2/33.

Brief scores:

Afghanistan: 158/5 in 20 overs (Mohammad Nabi 42; Axar Patel 2/23, Mukesh Kumar 2/33).

PTI

Bengaluru: Shreyas Iyer produced a strokeful 53 as India posted 160 for 8 against Australia in the fifth and final T20I here Sunday.

On a challenging surface, Iyer smacked five fours and two sixes to make 53 from 37 balls while Axar Patel’s brisk 31 featured a couple of fours and one six off 21 balls.

The two batters put on 46-run stand for the sixth wicket after Iyer had teamed up with Jitesh Sharma (24) to add 42 runs for the fifth wicket to resurrect a faltering Indian innings.

India have an unassailable lead of 3-1 in the five-match T20I affair, having won the first, second, and fourth game of the series.

Brief scores:

India 160/8 in 20 overs (Shreyas Iyer 53, Jitesh Sharma 24, Axar Patel 31; Jason Behrendorff 2/38, Ben Dwarshuis 2/30).

PTI

Visakhapatnam: India all-rounder Axar Patel remains hopeful of the young Indian side performing well in the five-match T20I series Australia which begins Thursday.

Axar missed the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 owing to injury. However, he’s back in the side for the five-match T20 series against Australia, starting in Visakhapatnam.

Speaking to JioCinema post the practice session Wednesday, Axar highlighted the expectations from the series against Australia

“Everyone knows that we suffered a heartbreak in the World Cup final. But it’s time to move on. We have a young team that will play Australia in the T20Is. All of us are keen to prove that we belong here. There’s a lot of energy in the team. It’s just that we have only 10-11 T20 international matches to go before the T20 World Cup to make an impression. So, all of us have been told to play according to our strengths,” said Axar.

“There’s no need for us to do something brand new. We have been told to express ourselves and move ahead. We have five matches against Australia and all of us know that they are a good side. We are not going to put ourselves under undue pressure. We will try and enjoy the games we play,” he added.

The all-rounder was named in the initial 15-member World Cup squad before suffering a left quadriceps injury in the match against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup 2023 which saw him being replaced by Ravichandran Ashwin, who managed to play only his first league game against Australia.

After making his return to the cricketing action in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023, Axar’s mindset remains the same after returning from injury.

“The mindset remains the same as what it was before I had to miss the World Cup due to injury. But I am fit again and am keen on doing well in all departments of the game. I have not made any changes and am focussing on the processes. I don’t want to make much changes to my mindset. I am not looking at this series from the view that I am among the senior players in the team now. I just want to continue doing what I was before the injury,” he concluded.

IANS

New Delhi: India have predictably named veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as a replacement for injured spin bowling all-rounder Axar Patel in their 15-member squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup, ICC announced Thursday. Axar had sustained a quadriceps tear and is not expected to recover anytime soon. The situation prompted the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee to name the 37-year-old Ravichandran Ashwin, who took four wickets in the two ODIs in the recently concluded series against Australia, in the squad.

“Axar Patel has failed to recover in time for the World Cup after sustaining a left quadriceps strain during India’s Asia Cup Super Four encounter against Bangladesh. The spin-bowling all-rounder missed the final of the Asia Cup as a result,” ICC stated in a media release.

“Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been named his replacement. He was impressive on his return to ODI cricket in the recently-concluded series against Australia where he picked up four wickets in two games,” the release further stated.

The writing was there on the wall when Axar failed to recover on time for the third ODI against Australia in Rajkot. Ashwin travelled with the Indian team to Guwahati where they will play the first warm-up game against England Saturday.

Experts had earlier been critical about India keeping three left-arm spinners in the squad in Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel. They had been pointing out to the lack of variety in the Indian spin attack. Now with the inclusion of the experienced Ashwin in the Indian team, there will be variety and depth in the Indian spin attack. He will certainly come in handy against teams that have a number of left-handers.

India World Cup squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav.

Mumbai: The National Cricketer Selectors Monday rested skipper Rohit Sharma, senior batter Virat Kohli and key all-rounder Hardik Pandya for the first two ODIs against Australia while bringing in off-spinner R Ashwin into the World Cup framework in case Axar Patel fails to recover from an injury.

Ashwin and fellow spinner Washington Sundar have been included in the squad for the three-match ODI series against Australia.

With it being the last set of matches for the Indian team before the ODI World Cup, Rohit, Virat and Hardik return for the third ODI against Australia. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar have been included in their place for the first two ODIs with KL Rahul named captain of the 15-member squad.

The selectors also decided to give more time to the injured spinner Axar Patel, who has been included in the 17-member, retaining Ashwin and Washington Sundar for the third game, selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar told a virtual press conference Tuesday.

Agarkar said Rohit, Virat and Hardik have been given a breather. Agarkar said at times the rest is not physical but mental also.

He said that he had been told by the medical staff that Axar should be available for the third match but the spinner’s fitness will be assessed before a final call take on his availability.

It appears the selectors have included the experienced Ashwin with an option of drafting him into the final World Cup squad in case Axar fails to recover in time.

Skipper Rohit Sharma said it would not be a problem for Ashwin to get into ODI mode despite last playing in this format in January 2022. He said the off-spinner has a lot of experience having played 80-odd Tests and 150 ODIs.

India squad for the first two ODIs against Australia:

KL Rahul (captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Mohammad Shami, Tilak Varma, Prasidh Krishna, Ravichandran Ashwin, Washington Sundar.

India squad for the third ODI against Australia (17 members):

Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Mohammad Shami, Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel (subject to fitness assessment), Ravichandran Ashwin, Washington Sundar.

IANS

Colombo: Washington Sundar has been called up as a cover for the injured Axar Patel for the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka Sunday.

Axar sustained several injuries during India’s six-run loss to Bangladesh in their last Super Four match Friday.

The extent of Axar’s injuries is currently unknown and hence bowling all-rounder Washington, who was part of India’s Asian Games squad, has been called up as a precautionary measure.

“Axar is currently suffering from multiple injuries. He has hurt his little finger, got hit on forearm by a throw from deep and most importantly has developed a hamstring niggle. So Washington has been called,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

More than the swelling on his forehand, it is Axar’s hamstring issue that will keep the Indian team management worried with just three weeks to go for the World Cup.

Washington, who bowls off-spin, last played an ODI at home against New Zealand in January this year.

PTI

Colombo: Shakib Al Hasan and Towhid Hridoy exploited the reduced firepower in India’s bowling attack to score half-centuries and guide Bangladesh to a healthy 265 for 8 in their Asia Cup Super Four match here Friday.

Shakib played an innings that suited a captain, scoring 80 off 85 balls and Hridoy supported him with a stubborn 81-ball 54, after India put them to bat.

In the context of the tournament, the match did not carry much significance as India have already qualified for the final. They will face Sri Lanka in the summit clash Sunday.

Hence on the periphery, it made sense that India rested five first-choice players in – Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav.

It also gave India a chance to hand an ODI debut to Tilak Varma, while Mohammed Shami, Suryakumar Yadav, Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna too got some game time.

But in the larger scheme of things, India achieved two goals. The performance was just enough to send a message to Sri Lanka about their readiness for the big day.

The performance of the fringe players might have come as an assurance to the team management about the availability of back-up for any eventuality, such as the continued uncertainty over Shreyas Iyer’s fitness.

And none could have offered a happier omen to them than Shami’s spell with the new ball. The veteran pacer started the day’s proceedings on a cracking note, disturbing the stumps of Litton Das.

Shami made the ball move off the seam that tiny bit to beat Das, who failed to get behind the ball.

Thakur (3 for 65) too got into the act in his own style. He was the most expensive of India bowlers going over six runs an over, but kept chipping at Bangladesh line-up with a couple of wickets.

Shakib, who added 101 runs for the fifth wicket with Hridoy, made a confidence-boosting fifty for himself after struggling to make an impact recently.

The left-hander was severe on Axar Patel, hammering the left-arm spinner for two consecutive sixes, but there was not much support for him from the other end except for the young Hridoy.

The Shakib-Hridoy partnership also rescued Bangladesh from total disaster which they appeared to have headed at 59 for 4 in the 14th over.

But they could not expand their knocks as Shakib was cleaned up by Thakur, while Shami accounted for Hridoy.

However, Nasum Ahmed (44 off 45 balls) pushed Bangladesh past the 250-run mark as Indian bowlers lost some direction.

India could have brought curtains on Bangladesh innings much quicker had they held on to three catches – Suryakumar, Tilak and KL Rahul being the offenders.

PTI

Lauderhill (USA): India will hope that batsmen will helm their march towards a series-levelling victory over the West Indies with another impact effort in the fourth T20 International here Saturday.

India might have stayed afloat with a win in the third T20I but Windies still lead the series 2-1, a quick reminder to the fact that the visitors still have concerns surrounding the batting unit.

It was a comforting sight indeed to see Suryakumar Yadav flicking on his beast mode and Tilak Varma chipping in with crucial runs. But India’s opening combination continued to falter.

India had handed T20I debut to Yashasvi Jaiswal, resting Ishan Kishan. But for the third successive match, the pair at the totem pole position failed to impress, making just six runs.  Jaiswal got out to pacer Obed McCoy in the first over itself.

In the previous two matches, Kishan and Shubman Gill had managed to score just five and 16 for the first wicket to place some amount of pressure on the middle-order.

Whether India will bring back Kishan for this match remains to be seen, but the management will hope for a more potent outing from the openers in a must-win match.

That India do not have a handy bat lower down the order, makes it mandatory for batsmen at the top to deliver. India have deployed Axar Patel at No. 7 to maintain the balance and they might continue to adopt the five-bowler policy.

Having said that, the way Tilak carried the burden on his young shoulders has been remarkable.

The sequence of 39 (22 balls), 51 (41 balls), and 49 (37 balls) might be a presage that the Hyderabad left-hander is ready for bigger stages in his career.

He is currently the leading run-scorer in the series with 139 runs while averaging 69.50.

Suryakumar hinted at a possible broadening of role for Tilak, his teammate at Mumbai Indians.

“We’ve batted (together) for a long time now. We both understand each other. It was his day to bat with maturity. He is batting with a lot of confidence and he helped me bat well too,” Suryakumar had said.

Kuldeep Yadav returned to the side for the third T20I and his performance will certainly add to India’s confidence. He had missed the second T20I with a sore thumb.

The left-arm wrist spinner bagged three wickets, conceding 28 runs from four overs.

West Indies batsman Nicholas Pooran has been a thorn in India’s flesh the whole series, but Kuldeep snaffled him before the left-hander blossomed.

Overall, three spinners — Kuldeep, Axar, Yuzvendra Chahal — gave a good account of themselves in the last match, and India will need an encore from them at the Central Broward Stadium.

In the initial part, the pitch here assists the batsmen but it often slips into sluggishness as the match progresses, evidenced by the 11 wins out of 13 matches registered by the team batting first.

As for the West Indies, they will not want to miss a chance to score their first series win over India after 2016 and will look for a far more cohesive display.

Teams:

India: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.

West Indies: Rovman Powell (Captain), Kyle Mayers, Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Obed McCoy, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas, Odean Smith.

Match starts at 8 PM IST.

PTI

London: India got themselves back in the game with four wickets in the morning session on day two but Australia maintained their upper hand in the World Test Championship final by reaching 422 for seven at lunch, following Steve Smith’s 31st hundred.

Resuming the day at 327 for three, Travis Head (163 off 174 balls) and Steve Smith (121 off 268) walked into the middle under bright sunshine at The Oval Thursday.

Smith, who was on 95 overnight, got two freebies on the pads from Mohammed Siraj in the first over of the day and he happily put them away for consecutive boundaries to complete his seventh hundred in England and third at the venue.

India were guilty of not using the short ball tactic early enough on the opening day but Siraj went for that from the get Thursday. Mohammed Shami too tried to mix it up with an odd bouncer but was not able to get the same zip from the surface as much as Siraj did.

While Smith was not bothered by India’s tactic, Head looked in a bit of discomfort.

Siraj banged one short into his body in the sixth over of the day and Head walked across the stumps to pull it but ended up edging it to wicketkeeper K S Bharat.

Cameron Green was the next to go as he went for an expansive drive off a full ball from Shami and ended up being caught at second slip by an alert Shubman Gill.

The prized wicket of Smith came out of nowhere as he dragged an innocuous ball from Shardul Thalur back on to his stumps. It was Thakur’s first ball of the day, highlighting his uncanny ability to provide a breakthrough out of the blue.

A brilliant piece of fielding from substitute Axar Patel got India their fourth wicket of the day as his one-handed direct hit from mid off left Mitchell Starc well short of his ground.

Though the sunny weather has made the pitch easier for batting, there still is enough help for the fast bowlers.

PTI

Ahmedabad: Delhi Capitals will need their under-performing Indian batters to deliver when they take on the mighty and versatile Gujarat Titans in the IPL here Tuesday.

The abject failure of Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan has contributed significantly to Delhi Capitals’ travails this season as they find themselves in a do-or-die situation with six losses from eight games.

They will probably need to win all of their remaining six games to make the IPL play-offs but considering the resources at their disposal, it looks highly unlikely.

Shaw’s dismal run has given an opportunity to Phil Salt to open alongside David Warner. He was at his destructive best in the last game and team would need him to be consistent alongside Warner and number three Mitchell Marsh, who finally played to his potential against Sunrisers Hyderabad with an all-round performance.

Delhi have been guilty of losing too many wickets in the middle overs and they must address it going forward. Keeping the in-form Axar Patel for the death overs is understandable but considering his dream run with the bat over the past 12 months in international cricket, Warner could push him to number five if not higher.

Coming into the season as a replacement player, Priyam Garg has got a much needed opportunity and he only has himself to blame if he cannot make it count. Veteran Manish Pandey can also do better at number four.

The Indian bowlers in the side are not faring as badly as the batters but Mukesh Kumar can definitely improve his economy rate, having conceded close to 11 runs per over in seven games.

Old horse Ishan Sharma has done his job in the three games he has been part of while Anrich Nortje will be looking for wickets in the coming games.

Delhi are in deep trouble and they are up against an opponent in Gujarat Titans who have built a reputation of winning a game from any situation.

Chasing 180 against KKR Saturday, they were in a spot of bother but eventually got home with 13 balls to spare.

Batting alongside David Miller, Vijay Shankar played one of his best IPL innings to take the team to its sixth win in eight games. The defending champions remain the team to beat this season.

Irish left arm pacer Joshua Little is coming into his own after learning some harsh lessons in his debut season.

In the spin department, they could always bank on Rashid Khan but now they have another Afghanistan gem in Noor Ahmad, who has bagged eight wickets in four games with an impressive economy rate of 7.33.

Teams:

Delhi Capitals: David Warner (c), Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan, Aman Hakim Khan, Abhishek Porel (wk), Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Rovman Powell, Rilee Rossouw, Anrich Nortje, Mustafizur Rahaman, Chetan Sakariya, Mukesh Kumar, Phil Salt, Lungi Ngidi, Praveen Dubey, Lalit Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vicky Ostwal, Ishant Sharma, Manish Pandey, Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Yash Dhull.

Gujarat Titans: Hardik Pandya (c), Shubman Gill, David Miller, Abhinav Manohar, Sai Sudharsan, Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Vijay Shankar, Mohammed Shami, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Pradeep Sangwan, Darshan Nalkande, Jayant Yadav, R. Sai Kishore, Noor Ahmad, Dasun Shanaka, Odean Smith, KS Bharat, Shivam Mavi, Urvil Patel, Joshua Little and Mohit Sharma.

Match starts 7.30 IST.

PTI