Axar Patel opens up on South Africa T20Is snub

Team India spin all-rounder Axar Patel had to suffer heartbreak as he was ruled out of Team India at the last moment for the recently concluded ICC ODI World Cup 2023.

After playing in domestic cricket, Axar made a comeback to the side in the T20I series against Australia. He has performed brilliantly during the ongoing T20 series against Australia.

Axar may have returned in Indian colours but in the upcoming tour of South Africa, the bowling all-rounder didn’t find a place in the T20I squad. He was, however, named in ODIs.

In response to the development, Axar said, “This is not in my hands. You are saying I got fired up because my name isn’t in the squad, but it can also be the opposite... if I had bowled poorly, you would have said I was upset! So, it goes both ways. It wasn’t anything like that, I was normal,” said Axar

“Squad selection wasn’t in my mind, I had been giving my best all this time. It isn’t my decision, it’s the selectors’ decision. I was only following the processes that I followed in past three games,” he added.

Notably, the final T20I of the five-match series against Australia will be played in Bengaluru on Sunday.