Axar Patel Makes Sensational Return As He Smashes Whirlwind Fifty After Being Dropped From World Cup Squad

It has not taken Axar Patel long to return to action. The allrounder was sidelined after he sustained a thigh injury while batting against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup last month. The unfortunate injury also ruled him out of the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 which would have been his first-ever ODI World Cup.

While he was named in the preliminary squad, the team management and the selectors eventually decided to replace him with veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin after he failed to recover in time for the marquee event. Axar Patel had suffered a left quadricep strain.

It was expected that he would recover in time for the World Cup although few media reports suggested that he could be sidelined for a long spell. A report stated that he had suffered an injury similar to what KL Rahul sustained during this year’s IPL and spent nearly 4 months on the sidelines.

Axar Patel returns:

The selectors, however, did not want to take any risk and decided to drop Axar Patel from the squad in order to make way for Ravichandran Ashwin. And far from the World Cup’s hustle and bustle, the left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder has already returned to action. He has not only returned to action but has done it in style.

The star allrounder smashed a whirlwind fifty for Gujarat against Punjab in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Ranchi. Although Gujarat ended up losing the game, Axar Patel managed to make his presence felt. Set an improbable target of 234 runs in 20 overs, they finished their innings on 197.

As far as the India allrounder’s performance is concerned, he smashed 52 runs from just 27 balls with the help of four sixes. He also did comparatively well with the ball too, conceding 30 runs in his 4 overs. The performance would definitely grab the attention of the Indian team management and the selectors who could have waited for him to recover. His replacement Ashwin has played just one game so far and is unlikely to be a member of the playing eleven in crucial games.