Axar Patel's 'Damn Good Idea' Helps India Avoid 2023 World Cup Pitfalls

During the Champions Trophy match against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium, Axar Patel was sent in to bat at number five. Unfortunately, he was unable to make an impact with the bat, scoring just eight runs before being dismissed.

In the end, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill took India over the line with six wickets in hand and 21 balls to spare. Rahul remained unbeaten on 41.

Sanjay Manjrekar praised Axar Patel for giving the Indian middle-order much-needed solidarity. Ahead of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy match against Pakistan, he also said that KL Rahul needs to be ready to bat at any position, as playing in the middle-order comes with its own challenges.

"KL Rahul got some time in the last game, which is good, but I guess Axar comes in only to make sure there's a left-hand right-hand combination, and if there's a left-hand spinner bowling or a leg spinner who's major main delivery is the leg spinner then makes sense for a left-hander to come in and Axar Patel has been brilliant," said Sanjay Manjrekar, JioHotstar Expert, while replying to a Hindustan Times query during a select media interaction.

"Actually, one of the things that I was worried about was the batting lineup with all those right-handers. I thought India would have the same problem they had in the 2023 World Cup, where the first left-hander was Jadeja. But Axar Patel going up the order, it's a damn good sort of idea that they have got working. And KL Rahul, hopefully, when he gets more time in, but that will be his job. If you're batting at number five, in limited over cricket, or five or six, something that comes with that position," he added.

'Amazing that Rishabh Pant is on the bench'

Sanjay Manjrekar also said it is amazing to see a talent like Rishabh Pant warming the bench. KL Rahul has been playing ahead of Pant as the first-choice wicketkeeper.

It remains to be seen whether Pant gets a look in. However, it looks unlikely as KL Rahul played a crucial 41-run knock in India's Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh in Dubai.

"It's amazing that somebody like Rishabh Pant is on the bench; it shows the kind of quality India has," said Sanjay Manjrekar.

ICC Champions Trophy , ICC Champions Trophy Schedule , and Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table – stay ahead with real-time match updates, team standings, and insights. Check live cricket score , player stats, and ICC rankings of top players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli . Get expert analysis, match previews, and in-depth coverage of ICC CT 2025, IPL 2025 Schedule and IPL 2025, all on HT Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times – your trusted source for cricket news along with India vs Pakistan Live Score. .freemium-card h4{color:#fff; padding-bottom:20px;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{padding-bottom:16px; color:#fff;} .freemium-card .freemium-content{width: auto; max-width: inherit;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{max-width:inherit; font-size:18px; padding-top:0; line-height:24px} .freemium-card .btnSubc{margin} .freemium-card .btnSubc a{background:#000; color:#fff; min-width:auto; padding:5px 15px; border-radius:6px; font-size:16px; line-height:22px; font-weight:700;} .freemium-card{height:285px} @media (max-width: 767px) { .freemium-card h4{font-size:28px} .freemium-card .freemium-content{max-width:360px; padding: 20px;} .freemium-card{height:303px; background-position: 100% 0; } }