Indian allrounder Axar Patel played a pivotal role in India’s recent T20I World Cup triumph, demonstrating his versatility and resilience when it mattered most for the team. Known to repay faith, Axar Patel had stepped up for the team in times of need. 

His standout performance came in India's high-pressure game against South Africa in the final of the T20I World Cup, where his composed knock guided India to a respectable total, laying the foundation for a crucial victory. Patel forged a 72-run partnership with Virat Kohli to release the accumulated pressure off India. 

“Rohit bhai was standing beside me when Rishabh Pant got out. He told me ‘Axar pads pehen le’ [Axar, pad up]. After that (Yuzvendra) Chahal came running to tell me that Rahul (Dravid) bhai wants me to pad up [too]. When I was padding up I did not know what to do.

“We were two wickets down and I had still not analysed the pitch. Next, I saw Suryakumar (Yadav) also got out. Things happened so suddenly that I did not have time to think. When I was going down the staircase, Hardik told me in Gujarati not to take any stress. 'Just watch the ball and hit the ball,' he said and it stuck with me.”

“I hit a boundary off the first ball I faced. I became very confident. I spoke to Virat bhai and he kept guiding me. He said, ‘I'm there. If you think that you can hit, then go for it.’ The constant communication was helpful. The rest is history,” Patel told Cricbuzz in an interview. 

Patel also emphasised that playing tennis ball cricket had helped him amplify his hitting abilities. 

”Playing tennis ball cricket had an impact on my hitting ability because, in that format, you can hit almost every ball for a six or a four, especially in short 10-12 over games. It also influenced my shot selection. Initially, I would predominantly hit the ball to the leg side. However, when I transitioned to season ball cricket, I realised the importance of playing with the swing and not just slogging every ball. I worked on expanding my hitting areas, focusing on playing straight and avoiding cross-batted shots," Axar said.

"Tennis ball cricket also taught me how to handle pressure. Growing up, I often found myself in pressure situations, which made me more stable and stronger mentally. I learned to stay calm and think positively, which has been invaluable in my career," he said.