"Very much underrated": Ajinkya Rahane orders Gautam Gambhir to respect this India star

The out-of-favor India National Cricket Team batsman Ajinkya Rahane showered rich praise on the star spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel.

Ajinkya Rahane said that Axar Patel more often than not goes under the radar and remains underrated, but he is a supremely talented cricketer.

I feel he is a very much underrated player - Ajinkya Rahane

The 31-year-old Axar Patel is arguably one of the best all-rounders in the world, and he has performed exceptionally well for Team India across formats.

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Currently, he is a two-format player for India as he features in ODIs and T20Is. His Test career was abruptly ended by the team management despite his stellar performances in red-ball cricket.

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Axar also possesses good leadership skills, and he showcased them during the recent edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) while captaining the Delhi Capitals (DC).

Earlier in the year, Axar Patel was named as the India T20I vice-captain, but that role has been snatched from him by the BCCI on the return of Shubman Gill for the Asia Cup 2025.

Meanwhile, speaking on his official YouTube channel, Ajinkya Rahane said that Axar Patel can bowl in any phase of the game, and his batting is also really good. He said:

"I feel he is a very much underrated player. He has improved as a player, as a cricketer in the last two to three years. He has done really well. Whenever he's got an opportunity as a batter, as a bowler, he has performed really well for the team. He can bowl with the new ball in the powerplay, he can bowl in the middle phase as well, and if needed, he can bowl in death overs."

Let's not forget about his fielding ability as well - Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane further said that Axar Patel is also quite sharp on the field and backed him to perform well in the Asia Cup 2025.

"As a captain, when you have a player like Axar Patel in the team, you are always happy. Let's not forget about his fielding ability as well. And also, the Asia Cup is in Dubai. Most probably, the wickets will favor the spinners. So, Axar's skill work and also experience will come in handy for the team."

Notably, Axar Patel has played 71 T20I matches for the India National Cricket Team and has picked up 71 wickets while scoring 535 runs.

Hardik's role in this Asia Cup will be really important - Ajinkya Rahane

While talking about India's other premier all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, Ajinkya Rahane said that the Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper will have to play an important role with the ball and chip in with four overs in most of the matches in Asia Cup. He elaborated:

"Hardik's role in this Asia Cup will be really important. As an all-rounder, he has done really well for the team in the past. Coming at No. 5 and 6 as a batter, creating that impact, playing with a high strike rate, reading the situation, and playing according to it, he has done it all. I'm sure he can do it again.

"What I would like to see from Hardik is bowling his four overs for the team. If he can do that, bowl those four overs, the team can actually have a very good balance."