Axar Patel with captain Suryakumar Yadav celebrating Pakistan’s Usman Khan’s wicket. (NOT a photo)
NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s commanding 61-run demolition of India at the World T20 in Colombo was as much about mindset as it was skill, and vice-captain Axar Patel made that clear with a statement that reflected the team’s ruthless clarity. Despite the historic rivalry and hype, Axar insisted that India approached the competition with calm distance and focus. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!“You see, we see them as a team. So we don’t think about that kind of rivalry or anything. So we play against one team and just focus on cricket,” Axar said after the win. He added: “I take it as one game against the opponent. So I don’t think about any rivalry or anything.”
World Cup T20: India humbled Pakistan again
The result extended India’s World Cup dominance over Pakistan to 8-1 and sealed Super 8 qualification with a third straight win. A sensational 77 off 40 balls from Ishan Kishan on a heavy surface laid the foundation. Axar was full of praise and said: “The way he batted was sensational. It’s one of the biggest shots because it wasn’t easy. The ball was spinning and some went right under the lights. It was a challenge.” He added that Kishan’s form and confidence made the difference, noting: “There’s a lot of confidence there and obviously he’s got the skills too. He hasn’t hit all his shots in one place because he can score all over the ground.”India posted 175/7 after contributions from captain Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh. Axar explained that India’s selection of three spinners was a deliberate move. “We feel the selection should be according to the pitch. And when you get help from the pitch, you go for it… we have put together the team combination accordingly,” he said.The bowlers then dismantled Pakistan for 114, with Axar, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy sharing the wickets, while Usman Khan’s 44 was the only resistance.Axar said the team’s success comes from trusting their own process rather than external comparisons. “Whatever the captain says, we focus on our strength… We just think about our plan and execution,” he said. We’re taking it one game at a time… today was the Pakistan team, so we’re focusing on it.