Indian all-rounder Axar Patel shook off the disappointment of missing out on the T20I squad touring South Africa with a Man of the Match performance in IND vs AUS 4th T20I. His figures of 3/16 in 4 overs while defending India’s total of 174 saw the Men in Blue win the series with a match to spare. Axar posted a cryptic message on X (previously Twitter) after the outstanding performance, leading to a lot of speculation.
After his match-winning spell, Axar Patel posted two photos of himself on X with the caption, “Move in silence. Only speak when it’s time to say checkmate.”
Due to an injury to his left quadriceps, Axar was ruled out of India’s World Cup squad. When India was bulldozing opponents in the recently concluded ICC Men’s ODI World Cup, Axar was facing the uphill task of getting back to his best shape. He made a return in the T20I series against Australia and has not disappointed since.
After picking up one wicket in each of the last two matches, Axar shone with the ball in the IND vs AUS 4th T20I. After scoring a golden duck while batting, Axar came out to ball with the right intent. His mix of pace meant the Aussie batters were unable to hit him for big shots. He picked up the wickets of Travis Head, Ben McDermott, and Aaron Hardie to make sure the Aussies went nowhere near the target.
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Axar’s post gains added significance in light of the recent squad announcements for South Africa. Axar was chosen for only one of the three formats to be played on the tour. He has been only chosen in the ODIs. With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup approaching, it is natural for Axar to be disappointed to miss out on the T20I squad touring Proteas. Was the tweet a reply to that snub? Axar may reveal someday.
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