Axar Patel: India lost the second Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka by 16 runs at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Thursday despite all-rounder Axar Patel’s magnificent 61 runs off 31 balls. White-ball cricket player Axar Patel has consistently shown that he qualifies as an all-rounder. His 61-run innings in the second T20I, though, were possibly the best by a No. 7 batsman in a T20 international game.
Axar Patel’s valiant knock
India’s attempt to chase down 207 to win the series got off to a shaky start as they lost half of their team at 57 after 9.1 overs. The final known Indian batter, along with Suryakumar Yadav, approached the crease at No. 7. The hopes of the Indian supporters were somewhat upset because the team still needed 143 runs off their final 10 overs. Axar began to counterattack, though, and forced the Sri Lankan bowlers to play hard.
When facing the Lankan spinners, the left-hander utilised the slog-sweep to great effect. Axar Patel tortured Wanindu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka’s star spinner, after striking Maheesh Theekshana for 13 runs off his third over. In the fourteenth over, Axar struck the leg-spinner for three straight sixes, regaining India’s position in the contest. After only 20 balls, the southpaw smashed Chamika Karunaratne for a six over long-on to reach his first T20I fifty.
3. Fifth-fastest fifty in T20I by Indian batter
Axar Patel showed off his power and hammered his next 42 runs in only 12 balls after only scoring eight runs off his first eight deliveries. As a result, he needed just 20 balls to reach his first T20I half-century. Axar now holds the fifth-fastest 20-ball fifty among Indian hitters in T20 international cricket. The best T20 World Cup 2007 score is still Yuvraj Singh’s 12-ball fifty against England.
Axar’s 20-ball half-century in T20 internationals is currently the quickest by an Indian when batting at No. 6 or lower, though.
2. Most sixes by an Indian in T20I while batting at No.7 or below
The all-rounder from Gujarat scored six powerful maximum while he was there. The MCA Stadium is hardly the tiniest of venues, but Axar Patel frequently and easily cleared the ropes, particularly when facing Sri Lankan spinners.
It’s interesting to note that Axar blasted six sixes in the innings, which is currently a record for an Indian hitter batting at No. 7 or lower in a T20I match. Dinesh Karthik earlier batted at position seven and struck four maximums in a T20I match.
1. Highest score by an Indian batting at No.7 or below in T20I
Axar Patel also holds the record for India’s greatest individual T20I score when batting at No. 7 or below, which is a significant personal accomplishment.
On Thursday, he scored 65 runs off only 31 balls in his outstanding performance against Sri Lanka. At number seven in the batting order, Axar became the first Indian to reach a T20I half-century. When playing Australia in Canberra in 2020, Ravindra Jadeja set the previous record by scoring 44* off 23 balls.
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