Axar Patel reminds India of his value after England ODI
When India needed him most, Axar Patel shone against England in the first ODI and delivered a much-needed win.
The Men in Blue were under pressure before the first ODI against England at Edgbaston, and Axar Patel had the most to prove.
He did not need to prove his worth to fans or critics, but to himself, and to send a stern reminder to the selectors that he remains a vital cog in India's white-ball team.
In my opinion, Axar had more on his mind than his teammates. Besides Jasprit Bumrah, who returned to the 50-over format for the first time since the 2023 World Cup summit clash, and Virat Kohli, who had recovered from an injury picked up in the IPL 2026 summit clash earlier this year, Axar stood out more than Rohit Sharma, who is 39 and has had a forgetful year, and Shreyas Iyer, whose short stint as India's new T20I skipper has brought constant criticism.
The reason is simple: Axar has had a forgettable outing with the bat.
A few years ago, the Indian team management backed him so strongly that he was promoted to No. 5 in ODIs and the shortest format. That role reflected the team's trust in him to chase targets, handle spinners, and go all guns blazing when needed.
Axar has not been able to repeat those heroics this year. He has been inconsistent in white-ball cricket, and in 12 T20I matches, he has averaged 6.27 with a strike rate of 97.
He has been in a lean patch for two years, and his numbers have improved only slightly, with his batting average rising to 13.5 and his strike rate to 114.67.
The strategic promotions that once worked wonders have also lost their impact. So far, he has scored 27, 26, 17, 23, and 10 while batting higher up in the shortest format, and he has not lived up to expectations.
His six-hitting once looked effortless and helped make him looked brilliant player, but now it has become rare at home and overseas.
His bowling performance has been better as compared to his batting. In 2025, he was removed as India's T20I vice-captain, then regained the position before the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, where he was dropped from the playing XI in consecutive matches, including one in Ahmedabad.
He then made a brilliant comeback in the semifinal and the summit clash, only to fall short of his earlier heroics.
He had a forgettable IPL 2026 outing, with the DC skipper averaging just 19 and bowling at an economy rate of 32. He then bounced back last week, smashing 63 runs across four wicketless overs.
For these reasons, the first ODI against England was more than just a match for him. He had not played this format since October 2025, and speculation was rife that he might not have been recalled if Hardik Pandya and Nitish Reddy had both been fully fit.
