Former captain Sourav Ganguly feels Axar Patel will book his place in the Indian team for the upcoming T20 World Cup as he can be moved around in the batting order depending on match situation. Axar has bowled splendidly all season at an economy rate of 7.06 and when promoted, he showed his batting prowess against Gujarat Titans. “Axar, is a certainty. Both Rishabh and Axar are certainties for me at the T20 World Cup. The way things are going in T20, Rohit will want someone to come at No. 8 and bat, give those 15-20 runs which Axar can easily do, and if he needs someone to go and smack spinners, Axar can do that as well.
“That’s the advantage with Jadeja and Axar, they are so talented and gifted,” Ganguly, Delhi Capitals’ Director of Cricket, said on the eve of their IPL clash against Mumbai Indians.
Ganguly, who has helped the left-handed Axar with his batting, said the all-rounder has the ability to bat in Tests as well as T20s.
“You should have the ability to strike the ball. You don’t have to have time for technique in T20 cricket. But your basics should be there and he’s always had that.
“When you see his batting in Tests for India, he gets runs under pressure on turning pitches. He has the ability to bat but in T20 you need the ability to strike and he does that when he’s pushed up and he gets a little more time to settle and keep hitting.
“He’s a tremendous cricketer — bats, bowls, fields. He has the ability to bat and can bat in T20 cricket. He is a very gifted cricketer,” Ganguly added.
Pant has shown that he has fully recovered from the injuries sustained during his horrific car accident, scoring three half-centuries in the ongoing IPL. He was at his belligerent best against the Gujarat Titans.
He is locked in a battle with the likes of Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and Dinesh Karthik for the wicketkeeper’s spot but Ganguly is confident the 26-year-old from Uttarakhand is a surety in the Indian team.
“I love Rishabh and Sanju. Rishabh will go to the T20 World Cup. Sanju might also go, not saying he shouldn’t. He is as good a player as anyone, and keeps, bats, captains Rajasthan. Both can go if the selectors feel,” he added.
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