"Was there when they beat us without losing a wicket"- Axar Patel reveals his favourite spell of T20 World Cup 2024

The Indian Cricket Team’s star spin all-rounder, Axar Patel, has opened up about his favorite spell from the recent ICC T20 World Cup 2024 last month. Patel made significant contributions with both the bat and ball to India’s historic T20 World Cup 2024 triumph in Barbados on June 29.

The left-arm spinner took nine wickets at an average of 19.2 and an economy rate of 7.9 in India’s successful T20 World Cup 2024 campaign in the USA and West Indies. Speaking about his favorite wicket, Patel said that England captain Jos Buttler's wicket in the T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal remains his personal favorite.

Axar Patel reveals his favorite T20 World Cup 2024 moments with the ball

However, he also revealed two more of his favorite dismissals. In his very first ball, Axar made an instant impact with a crucial breakthrough for India. He delivered a length ball on off-stump that unexpectedly gripped and spun, and Buttler attempted a reverse sweep, but the ball took the edge of the bat and popped up.

Rishabh Pant had a straightforward task, needing just a couple of steps to complete an easy catch, as Patel got the big fish. Then, Axar removed Jonny Bairstow for a duck with his trademark delivery that skids straight through. The ball was full and slightly outside off-stump. Bairstow, not fully aligned with the delivery, reached for it with his hands, expecting it to turn. Instead, the ball continued straight and struck the off-stump.

Axar said that he was motivated by the 2022 T20 World Cup memory when England chased down the target without losing a single wicket, and that’s why these wickets are special to him. Well, Patel's third favorite wicket was Marcus Stoinis.

Jos Buttler's wicket stands out for me because of what happened in the 2022 World Cup: Axar Patel

Stoinis attempted a reverse sweep against a flat delivery aimed at off-stump by Axar, striking it hard. However, he directed it straight to Hardik Pandya at a backward point. Despite the ball coming at him quickly and bobbling slightly, Pandya managed to secure the catch without any errors in the Super-8 game between India and Australia in the T20 World Cup 2024.

Axar Patel was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz: “It's a very difficult question. My personal favorite was the first wicket against England in the semifinal, getting Jos Buttler out. The second was clean bowling Jonny Bairstow, and the third was dismissing Marcus Stoinis against Australia. The Buttler wicket stands out for me because of what happened in the 2022 World Cup.

I was there when they chased our score without losing a wicket. That memory was on my mind, and I was determined to do well for the team, no matter what. I bowled my first over in the PowerPlay, taking out Buttler, and then I clean bowled Bairstow with an arm ball in my second over of PowerPlay. He failed to read my delivery and missed it.”