India’s Axar Patel (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) MUMBAI: The North Stand of the Wankhede Stadium gave Axar Patel a standing ovation as he settled into his fielding position after a long outing. The applause was well deserved. In the space of about 40 minutes, Axar produced a fielding effort that will go down in Indian cricket folklore, similar to Kapil Dev’s catch in the 1983 World Cup final and Suryakumar Yadav’s effort in the 2024 World Cup T20 summit.The 32-year-old had already taken one catch to dismiss Phil Salt as he produced a moment that lifted the team’s spirits and fired up the crowd. It started with Jasprit Bumrah fooling Harry Brook with a slower first ball delivery of his spell. The England skipper flicked a ball that looked like it would land safely in the deep cover region. Axar, placed inside the ring, believed he could reach it. Sprinting back with his eyes on the ball, he timed the trajectory perfectly and lunged forward to complete a superb diving catch inches above the ground.
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The second try came in the 14th over and turned the match decisively in India’s favour. Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks put together a formidable 77-run stand off 39 balls for the fifth wicket.Jacks cut a full toss from Arshdeep Singh towards deep point and the ball hung in the air again. Axar, patrolling the boundary, sprinted across, kept his balance and just when he appeared to have lost control, lobbed the ball to Shivam Dube before crossing the boundary, reducing England to 172/5.In between these efforts, Axar also used his trickery with the ball and slowed the pace to dismiss Tom Banton, who was scoring at a rate of over 350. He could have taken another blind spot to dismiss Bethell as he approached his century, but the chance slipped away and crossed the boundary.India’s fielding has been troubled in the T20 World Cup, with 13 catches dropped before the semi-finals. But under Axar, the team put in a sharp performance in the field and hung on to every chance – a positive sign heading into Sunday’s final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.When asked which of the two catches he values more, Axar responded with humor saying “the ball decided to chase me”. He added that Brook’s catch was difficult but Jacks’ dismissal was more important as it broke up a dangerous partnership.Axar may not carry the aura of some of his teammates and has been overlooked at times. He had to hand over the T20 vice-captaincy to Shubman Gill during the 2025 Asia Cup and was benched for two matches at his home venue, the Narendra Modi Stadium, against the Netherlands and South Africa in that tournament.Still, Surya’s deputy has always been a team man. He spent those games in the dugout carrying drinks, cheering on his teammates and patiently waiting for his chance — something he has done throughout his career. Axar has taken eight wickets with his left-arm spin in six matches at an economy rate of 8.09, second best among Indian bowlers after Bumrah’s 6.62.The Gujarat all-rounder also had to wait for the ICC tournament on home soil as he missed the 2023 World Cup due to injury. With Axar now certain to feature in Sunday’s final, he is eager to play in front of his home crowd – and his son will be watching live for the ‘first time’.“I think that’s the reason why I didn’t play the two games (when I had to play the final) because it’s very important for me,” Axar said. “I have been waiting for many years to play in front of my family at my home ground. It is a very proud moment. After two years I will be playing on home soil – and that too in the final of the ICC World Cup.”On social media, who were called “crazy” by trolls at the Ahmedabad stadium, Axar responded with a smile: “I didn’t play that game (World Cup 2023 final) so now I think the scum will break!”
