Axar Patel: The IPL Purple Cap Winner In 2021?

Following his recent demolition of England’s batting order, Axar Patel will now be turning his attention to the 2021 Indian Premier League. Despite only making his test debut against Chris Silverwood’s team, many Indian fans were already well aware of the 27-year-old’s talent, having watched him in the IPL since 2012. Now, there’s a level of expectation on Patel’s shoulders among Delhi Capitals supporters after his record-equalling Test performance against England. With that, let’s consider whether he’ll be among the favourites in cricket betting to win the Purple Pap in 2021.

Needing to Continue His Recent Test Form

Given for picking up the most wickets, the Purple Cap is an award that every bowler in the IPL dreams of winning. Since the competition began in 2008, names such as Dwayne Bravo, Lasith Malinga, and Kagiso Rabada have topped the pile from a wicket standpoint. Interestingly, Bravo currently holds the record for the most wickets taken in an IPL season, getting 32 back in 2013, according to Sportskeeda. Thus far, Patel has yet to win the award, although he did come close in 2014, finishing just six wickets behind the eventual Purple Cap winner, Mohit Sharma.

This year, Patel will likely be among the favourites across many sports betting platforms based on his recent international triumphs. In India’s 3-1 victory over England, Patel equalled Dilip Doshi’s record from 1979 in taking 27 wickets on debut. Although T20 and Test cricket are different, if the Delhi Capitals are to bounce back from last year’s final defeat, they’ll need the 27-year-old to continue his rich vein of form. Along with Patel, the Capitals possess a dangerous bowling attack that includes last year’s Purple Cap winner, Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Chris Woakes, Ishant Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin, as per ESPN Cricinfo.

The 27-Year-Old Will be Seeking to Improve in 2021

From an individual standpoint, Patel will want to prove that he can lead the attack for his domestic side in the 14th edition of the limited-overs competition. Although the team’s pace bowlers will likely bowl during the opening and closing overs, the Anand-born left-arm spinner will play a pivotal role in minimising runs during the middle phases. However, Patel will need to show improvements in 2021, as his IPL form has stagnated over the last few years.

According to the 27-year-old’s profile at myKhel, his overall bowling average in the IPL sits at 30.70. Furthermore, his economy is 7.29. As mentioned above, Patel’s best season came back in 2014, when he took 17 wickets in his debut campaign. In the last three instalments, he’s failed to get more than ten wickets. Despite bowling his second-highest number of overs in 2020, Patel took nine wickets from 51 overs.

This year, however, things could be different. Off the back of a memorable outing against England, Patel will be high on confidence ahead of the 2021 IPL, which puts him in good stead to get off to a positive start. As such, he undoubtedly makes for an intriguing Purple Cap winner in the cricket betting from Royal Panda. Through the operator, cricket fans can bet on an array of cricket-related markets, including the highly-anticipated Indian Premier League. At present, the Capitals are priced at 4.33 to win the 14th edition of the competition.

It’s Time to Step Up and Lead Delhi’s Bowling Attack

In many ways, Patel epitomises why the IPL is so successful. Despite playing in the tournament since 2014, it took a further seven years before he made his Test debut, which speaks volume about India’s cricket talent. Now, he’s the talk of the cricketing world, and he has an opportunity to further elevate his status by clinching the sought-after Purple Cap in 2021.