AHMEDABAD: Some time in January 2024, Axar Patel was sitting in the press conference room of IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, taking questions after India’s win against Afghanistan in the first T20I. After a 2/23 spell, Axar, who had missed the 2023 ODI World Cup at home due to a last-minute injury, was asked about the road to the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States.
The left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder explained how he wanted to get through the series and focus on the IPL season rather than thinking about the T20 WC. As he went on, Axar, in his inimitable style, chuckled before saying, “Mera aap ne record dekha he hoga ki… Kuch bhi kar sakta hoon mein toh (You all know my record anyways, I can do anything),” and laughed.
That was Axar. That's his personality — quiet, unassuming athlete who does not take himself too seriously. Having grown up and lived all his life in Nadiad — about 50km from Ahmedabad — it does not take long to understand that Axar has always been that person, a star who usually rooted to the ground just like a common man.
It may sound as an exaggeration for an elite Indian cricketer who leads the Delhi Capitals franchise in IPL and is also the vice-captain of the national team in the ongoing T20 World Cup, but in Axar's case, it isn’t. His childhood friend Keval Patel vouches for it. “He is a common man (aam aadmi), the same as when we were as kids. There are a few responsible changes since becoming a dad, but he is still a down-to-earth person who has his share of fun with his friends. He still lives in the same apartment where he grew up and plays with kids around the neighbourhood when in the city,” Keval tells this daily.
Nicknamed ‘Bapu’ by MS Dhoni, Axar's nature comes from the childhood he has had and the guiding influence of his father Rajesh Patel. Even as a kid, the all-rounder showed streaks of maturity beyond his age when it came to cricket. The turning point came when his grandmother passed away in the middle of a match and Axar could reach home only two days later. His father told him that her last wish was to see Axar donning the India cap. That dream came true in 2014, but the World Cup dream remained elusive.
He played the 2022 T20 World Cup, where India got eliminated in the semifinal and came close to featuring in the home ODI World Cup the year after, before missing out due to injury. It came as a massive blow, but his friends and family made sure Axar was not alone. “We handled it by sitting with him all the time. Our friends and family were always with him, not giving him any time to think about his injury or missing the WC. We made sure he was distracted and did not have the time to think about it all,” Keval recalls.
Finally, his time has come
Axar’s time came in 2024 when he played a crucial part in India’s T20 WC triumph, especially with a game-changing 31-ball 47 in the final. From thereon, his stature grew in the team as Axar went on to win the Champions Trophy and is now all set to play in Ahmedabad — his home state and ground — in a WC match for the very first time. Axar had an injury scare before this World Cup that sent everyone back home into a frenzy. “When he came to play after his injury, we were worried. Everyone was worried. We even asked him if he was okay,” Keval says.
However, he recovered and has played an integral part in India’s unbeaten campaign so far. Axar's performances sometimes get unnoticed with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav dominating. In three matches, he has taken six wickets at 12.16 average and 6.63 economy.
It has, by and large, been the theme of his cricketing career — do the job quietly and walk off the field.
“He has always been mature when it came to cricket. He is god gifted in a way. He is never in the limelight. He just does the job and leaves. The world does not see the hard work he puts in. We know that,” Keval says, beaming with pride as the entire Nadiad gears up for Axar’s first WC game in Ahmedabad. “Everyone in Nadiad, his family, friends… we are all very happy. We have seen Test matches before, but World Cup matches are different. He has sacrificed so much for his family and his parents. Every player has a dream to play a World Cup match in their own home ground. What could be better than that? It is a proud moment for all of us. The entire Nadiad is cheering for him and his family will be in the stands,” Keval adds.
In the Ahmedabad airport, as one walks down towards the arrival gate, there is a small enclosed area that retraces Mahatma Gandhi’s — the OG Bapu of Gujarat — footsteps. On Wednesday, when the Bapu of this Indian cricket team, Axar, walks onto the field at the Narendra Modi Stadium, he will have inspired the young kids from his city to follow his footsteps from Nadiad to global glory.