India’s Axar Patel takes a catch to Shivam Dube for the wicket of England’s Will Jacks during the second semi-final cricket match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 between India and England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Maharashtra. (PTI) TimesofIndia.com in Mumbai: Will Jacks c Dube b Arshdeep Singh. That’s how Will Jacks appeal goes into the record books. But what happened was much more dramatic. It was a piece of athletic brilliance and awareness that turned the catch into a highlight reel.It’s not often that you pull the trigger to give your side a much-needed breakthrough and still have no mention of it on the scoreboard. Despite the tough moves, the scorecard will always mention Shivam Dube, but Axar Patel’s catch that never was will probably go down as one of the most iconic tries in Indian cricket.
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He took quick steps to the left, extended both hands, almost tripped but kept control, and then produced a neat relay for Shivam Dube to complete the formalities in the deep. Then there was a celebratory hum as the two players embraced and the entire team rushed to Axar for the second time that evening.A fifth wicket partnership of 77 off 39 balls between Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks was starting to look ominous.However, this was not the first time that Axar had produced something spectacular during an England run. Before that, he turned from inside the circle and sprinted at full tilt to get under Harry Brook’s errant tackle through the covers. Even after covering a long distance, the ball appeared to have eluded him, but he extended himself fully in the jump and managed to make a stunning catch.Both catches had a different meaning for Axar, who felt the ball was still chasing him in the field when he got another opportunity in Hardik Pandya’s final over. While Jacks catch was more important in the context of the game, Brook’s was the more difficult of the two.“Both of them are different. When I caught Harry Brook, I think it was a very good catch for me. I think it was tough. But if you look at the situation and the way the batsmen were batting, Will Jacks’ catch was very important to break the partnership at that time. So it’s very tough for me if you ask me. But in terms of fielding, I think Harry Brook’s catch behind me today was tougher.” India won by seven runs over England.In a high-scoring humdinger, that fielding effort made the biggest difference. England paid for their early reprieve to Sanju Samson as India clung to their chances. In a game where 499 runs were scored and the result was a seven-run win, Axar will feature only once on the scorecard. But the whole country will remember his double effort which helped the Men in Blue win the battle by narrow margins and set up a date with New Zealand for the title on Sunday.It will also be another homecoming for local boy Axar. After missing two matches against the Netherlands in the group stage and South Africa in the Super 8, the Nadiad all-rounder is pumped up and eager to play in front of his home crowd.
India’s Axar Patel tries to take a catch on the boundary during the second semi-final cricket match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 between India and England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Maharashtra. (PTI)
Fate was cruel ahead of the 2023 World Cup. He missed the tournament due to injury and did not feature in the two matches played in Ahmedabad, the high-octane encounter with Pakistan and the November 19 final against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium. He waited over two years to play for India at home as he missed the opportunity during the bilateral T20I against South Africa due to illness.“Yes, that’s why he won’t play those matches. (laughs) (Maybe I didn’t play those matches because of this, the World Cup final). It is very important to me. I’ve waited so many years. It is a very proud moment to play a match in front of your family at your home ground. I think after two years I will be playing on my home court. And also the final of the ICC T20 World Cup. My son will also watch the match live from the stands. And I am very proud of that,” Axar said.Ahmedabad and the World Cup final do not bring back fond memories as fans still bear the scars of the heartbreak of 19 November 2023. 8 March now offers the city a chance to write a new chapter and a local hero is determined to erase the memories of the night that broke over a billion hearts.
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Which catch do you think was more impressive by Axar Patel?
“Home ground as a player nahi tha na tab… (the home player didn’t play that match (laughs)),” was Axar’s sharp reply when asked about India, Ahmedabad and the World Cup final.In two sleeps, he gets the opportunity to change the narrative around the venue, in front of his people and on his country.
