IND vs AFG 2nd T20I: Axar Patel Becomes Second Indian Player After Ravindra Jadeja To Achieve This T20 Feat

IND vs AFG 2nd T20I: Indian all-rounder Axar Patel bowled brilliantly in the second match against Afghanistan to help his team clinch victory and go 2-0 up in the T20I series.

India defeated Afghanistan by six wickets in the second T20I match at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Sunday, January 14, sealing the three-match series with a match to go.

Amid his instrumental bowling performance, Axar also achieved an incredible milestone as he completed 200 wickets in the T20 format and joined senior teammate Ravindra Jadeja in an elite company.

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Patel reached this milestone in the first innings after India opted to bowl first for the second time in the series. 

In the match, Axar continued his good form with the ball, taking 2/17 in his quota of four overs. He took the wickets of skipper Ibrahim Zadran and Gulbadin Naib, who was looking dangerous after scoring a half-century.

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Now in his T20 career, Axar has 200 wickets at an average of 27.95 and an economy rate of 6.97. His best bowling figures are 4/21.

The leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket is West Indies legend Dwayne Bravo (619 wickets in 564 matches). For India, the leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket is veteran spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (336 wickets in 290 matches).

It is to be noted that Axar is the only Indian to have both 2000-plus runs and 200 or more wickets in T20 cricket. In 234 matches, he has also scored 2,545 runs at an average of 22.52 and a strike rate of over 134 with five half-centuries. His best score is 70*.

The 35-year-old Jadeja also has 3,382 runs in 310 T20s at an average of 25.42 and a strike rate of 129.33. He has just two half-centuries in 222 innings, with the best score of 62*. He has also taken 216 wickets at an average of 29.87 and an economy rate of 7.57, with the best bowling figures of 5/16.

Talking about the match, India bowled the visitors out for 172 runs with senior batter Gulbadin Naib being the top scorer with 57 runs in 35 deliveries.

On the other hand, Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the bowlers for the Men in Blue as he took three wickets for 32 runs in his four overs.

While Ravi Bishnoi and Axar picked up two wickets each, Shivam Dube also ended up taking a wicket.

Chasing the target, skipper Rohit Sharma was once again out for a duck. But a returning Virat Kohli (29 in 16 balls, with five fours) played with a refreshing attacking intent and formed a 57-run stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Following Virat's dismissal, Yashasvi (68 in 34 balls, with five fours and six sixes) and Shivam Dube (63* in 32 balls with five fours and four sixes) demolished the Afghanistan bowling line-up with their hitting, putting up a 92-run partnership in just 42 balls. Rinku Singh (9*) and Shivam finished off things to give India a six-wicket win and a series win by 2-0, with one game left.

Axar, who was adjudged as the 'Player of the Match' for his bowling spell, talked about the milestone.

“Feels good, I just realised that I have got 200 T20 wickets. But what is important to keep doing well for India, honestly a few years later I won’t remember how many wickets I took. I have been trying to bowl a bit slower, vary my lengths and now I have been to gauge these things better. Now I have the confidence to bowl at all times, even in the powerplay,” he said after the match.

He now becomes the 11th Indian bowler to complete 200 wickets in the shortest format of the game.

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