Former batter Sanjay Manjrekar made a bold prediction ahead of the upcoming Champions Trophy, stating that Axar Patel's all-round versatility could put wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant's place in the team in jeopardy after India's win in the first ODI against England.

During the first ODI against England, India left out Pant and promoted Axar to bat at No.5 position in the chase and the bold move worked wonders. After India lost the top order Axar played a crucial innings alongside Shubman Gill to stitch a 108-run stand, scoring 52 runs off 47 balls.

As India opted for KL Rahul as the wicket-keeper during the 1st ODI in Nagpur, Pant was forced to warm the bench. Manjrekar feels that the 27-year-old might have to wait on the sidelines for some time during the Champions Trophy as Axar is a fantastic choice, and he has the character of a batter.

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"Before the match started, there was a suggestion from me that maybe Rishabh Pant could be tried only with the Champions Trophy in mind. Plus, India would have a left-hander in the top six or seven. Axar Patel is a great option to have because this is a guy, we have seen him bat in Test matches for India, and he has a batter's temperament," Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo.

The former also stated that the all-rounder played well against spinners. Notably playing against spinners during the middle overs in the past has have been a problem for Team India batters. Manjrekar said Axar will provide India good chance to have a strong option to have in the middle order in Dubai.

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"Boy, he looked good against spinners. India have had a problem in the middle overs where they have struggled to find batters who are competent against spin. Because this Champions Trophy is going to be played in our part of the world, there's going to be a lot of spin impact on the games," the former player said.

"Axar Patel is a terrific option to have in the middle, thereby perhaps delaying Rishabh Pant's chances of coming back in. Now, they have found a left-hander that they can bat in the middle," Manjrekar concluded.