In a span of a week, Axar Patel has become the first Indian spinner to claim 100 wickets and play 100 matches in T20I cricket. The all-rounder, who made his debut for the Men in Blue in the shortest format in 2015, has become just the fifth player to complete a century of games. He joins the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav.
The left-arm spinner had claimed his 100th T20I wicket, just the fourth Indian bowler, against England on July 4. One can’t forget that the 32-year-old played an instrumental role in India’s last two T20 World Cup trophy runs.
Most T20I matches for India
| Player | Span | Matches | Runs | Highest Score | Batting Average | 100s | Wickets | Best Figures | Bowling Average | Catches |
| Rohit Sharma | 2007-2024 | 159 | 4231 | 121* | 32.05 | 5 | 1 | 1/22 | 113.00 | 65 |
| Hardik Pandya | 2016-2026 | 138 | 2288 | 71* | 28.24 | 0 | 114 | 4/16 | 27.13 | 64 |
| Virat Kohli | 2010-2024 | 125 | 4188 | 122* | 48.69 | 1 | 4 | 1/13 | 51.00 | 54 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | 2021-2026 | 113 | 3272 | 117 | 36.35 | 4 | 2 | 2/5 | 2.50 | 58 |
| Axar Patel | 2015-2026 | 100 | 746 | 65 | 17.34 | 0 | 101 | 3/9 | 21.86 | 38 |
“When I played my first T20I, I never imagined I would play 100 matches. This England tour has been very special for me because I completed 100 T20I wickets in the second match, and now I will play my 100th T20I in the fourth game. It’s a very special moment, and I am really enjoying it,” Axar said in a video shared by BCCI on the eve of the India vs England 4th T20I.
It isn’t as if Axar has only done the bit with the ball. In his 11-year career, Axar has scored 746 runs for India. That lands him among the top twenty scorers for India in the format. His crowning moment with the bat came in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean, especially in the final against South Africa, where he smashed 47 off 31 after India was 34/3.
During the tournament, he was exceptional in the field as well. If not for Jasprit Bumrah, Axar might’ve taken the ‘player of the tournament’ award home. Yes, the 32-year-old wasn’t a game-breaker in every game, but he rose up when it mattered the most. In the last couple of years, his batting hasn’t been exceptional, but he’s upped his bowling performance and continues to evolve.
Most T20I wickets for India
| Bowler | Inns | Wickets | Best Figures | Average | Economy | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arshdeep Singh | 87 | 134 | 5/51 | 19.70 | 8.53 | 13.8 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 92 | 121 | 4/15 | 18.08 | 6.51 | 16.6 |
| Hardik Pandya | 125 | 114 | 4/16 | 27.13 | 8.34 | 19.5 |
| Axar Patel | 92 | 101 | 3/9 | 21.86 | 7.44 | 17.6 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 79 | 96 | 6/25 | 25.09 | 8.19 | 18.3 |
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