Axar Patel: The Journey of India’s Versatile All-Rounder

Early Life and Background

Akshar Rajeshbhai Patel was born on January 20, 1994, in Anand, Gujarat, India. Axar grew up in a very small house in the village of Nadiad which is about 60 km from Ahmedabad. Everyone dreams of becoming a cricketer but for a boy living in the village, this idea remains just a dream. He himself never aspired to be a cricketer, from his childhood he always wanted to become a mechanical engineer. It was his friend Dhiren Kansara who for the first time recognised his talent in cricket when he was 15 years old. He encouraged him to participate in an inter-school cricket tournament. Axar soon started enjoying the game, from here onwards his life journey was changed completely. 

Unlike many typical middle-class Indian households, Axar’s family supported his ambitions of becoming a cricketer. His father, Rajesh Patel himself went to enrol him in a gym so that he could build his strength for the game. However, his mother, Pritiben Patel, was initially against his decision to pursue cricket because she was concerned about injuries that come during the game. His first name was originally spelt “Akshar” but during his school time, his principal made a clerical error which led to the spelling “Axar”, which he has used ever since that time. 

Family

Axar Patel comes from a typical Gujju family. He was raised with love from his family members. Unfortunately, his father, Rajesh Patel suffered a terrible accident that ended in paralysis of half of his body but he has proudly witnessed his son’s achievements. His mother too, who initially hesitated about his cricket career later in life expressed how proud she is of Axar’s success in cricket. 

Axar has a sister, Shivangi Patel, who lives in Canada now. Initially, she didn’t have enough interest in cricket but after watching his brother play for India, she too became a devoted cricket fan. He also has an elder brother, Sanship Patel,  who is an engineer by profession. He has completed his master’s degree from Gujarat University. 

Axar was in a relationship for nearly a decade before his stardom period with Meha Patel. He married the love of his life on January 26, 2022.

Domestic Career

Axar Patel began playing professionally with Gujarat in domestic cricket. His First-Class debut came against Mandhya Pradesh in 2012. In the Ranji Trophy of 2013-14, he scored 369 runs and took 29 wickets at a low average of 23.58. 

He was also part of the India Red squad for the 2019-20 Duleep Trophy and after this step he also represented India C in the Deodhar Trophy 2019. Due to his consistent all-round performances he became a recognised player in domestic cricket. 

International Career

Format	Matches	Runs	Batting Avg	50s	Wickets	Bowling Avg	Best Bowling	Economy Rate
Test	12	513	36.64	4	50	17.16	6/38	2.14
ODI	56	481	21.86	2	61	31.69	3/24	4.53
T20I	52	373	22.41	0	54	24.98	3/9	6.96

Test Career

Axar Patel made his Test debut against England on February 13, 2021. He achieved a historic achievement in his very first match. He tool a five-wicket haul in the second innings of this first test which also included the dismissal of notorious Joe Root. In the same series in a total of three matches he took 27 wickets, this earned him the title of second highest wicket taker in a series. 

His spectacular performances didnt end here, he kep on getting wickets in Tests. He took another five-wicket haul against New Zealand in 2021 and also delivered a crucial performance against Australia in 2023. 

ODI Career

The first ever international appearance of Axar came with his ODI debut on June 15, 2014. He was also a part of the 2015 World Cup squad. Year by year his performance kept on getting better and etter, In July 202, he scored 64 runs on just 35 deliveries against the mighty West Indies sid which helped India to chase down a mammoth target of 312 runs. In the recent Champions Trophy event this year, he emerged as the backbone of Indian batting order. His bowling marvels are known to all but this time he contributede crucial runs consistently in almost each match that India played. From a spinner he has worked on himself to become a perfect all-rounder for any format. 

T20I Career

Soon after Axar Patel made his international appearance in ODIs. He was selected for the T20 series against Zimbabwe where he debuted for T20Is on July 17, 2025. In the very first match he picked up three crucial wickets for just 17 runs. He was also included in the India’s 2021 T20 World Cup squad, although he was later replaced in that tournament. He make sure that no one can doubt his talent from that year onwards. During the world cup winning squad of 2024, it became natural for selectors to pick Axar for the tournament.

IPL Journey 

Mumbai Indians (2013) – The Benchwarmer Year

Axar was selected for the first time for IPL by the Mumbai Indians franchise in 2013. Although in the presence of much experienced spinners like Harbhajan SIngh and Pragyan Ojha the team could not find a place for him in the playing eleven. Axar had to wait for another IPL season to demonstrate his abilities. Mumbai Indians performed the best this year and despite being on the bench all the time he was a part of the world cup winning squad which included great players like Sachin Tendulkar, this experience helped him well in learning from the Greats. 

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Kings XI Punjab (2014–2018) – The Breakthrough Years

After an uneventful season of 2013 for Axar Patel, he was brought by Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) for ₹75 lakh in the 2014 auction. During his years with Punjab his IPL career truly took off. 

2014 IPL Season: The Breakout Year 

Axar was not only selected but made a part of playing eleven throughout the season with Punjab. He played a crucial role in KXIP’s bowling attack during the middle overs. Axar was the third highest wicket-taked for Punjab this year wit a total of 17 wickets in 17 matches with an economy rate of just 6.13. Punjab had a fantastic season as they finished runners-up to KKR, thanks to their economical bowling attack. Due to his fantastic performance he was awarded the Emerging Player Award.

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2015–2016 IPL Seasons: The All-Rounder Role

Axar emerged during these two seasons as Punjab’s key spin bowler. He took 13 wickets each in both 2015 and 2016 season.  During the 2016 season he took a magical four wicket over to silent Gujarat Lions batting order. Along with his star bowling performances, he also contributed with his bat to play cameos at crucial times.

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2017 IPL Season – The Hat-Trick Hero

The key highlight of this season was the Axar’s first ever hat-trick that he achieved against Rising Pune Supergiant. He become only the second KXIP player to do so in IPL. The hat-trick victims comprised big names like MS Dhoni (bowled), Manoj Tiwary (LBW) and Dan Christian (Caught). He finished the season with a total of 15 wickets in just 14 matches. He also contributed 227 runs with his bat at an average of 28.37.

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2018 IPL Season – The End of the Punjab Chapter

Due to unfortunate injuries, Axar’s 2018 season was below the standard that Axar set in previous seasons. He played only 9 matches in which he could only pick 3 wickets. Maybe, this was a major factor why Punjanb didnt retained him ahead of the 2019 IPL auction. This ended his five-year journey with Kings Eleven Punjab. In total he took 61 wickets for Punjab in 68 matches with a very economic rate of 7.13. 

Read Also:- IPL 2025: Three Players in Contention to Captain Delhi Capitals

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Delhi Capitals (2019–Present) – The Rise as a Key Player

Axar has always been a long term player for any team. In the 2019 auction he was signed by Delhi Capitals for a whopping sum of Rs 5 crores. Since his joining to the date, he has been one of the most crucial players in Delhi Capitals (DC) squad. In the 2021 IPL season with DC Axar took a bowling masterclass of Batsen. In total he took 15 wickets in 12 matches with a best of 3/21.  He had an economy rate of just 6.65 during the season. Due to his outstanding performance Delhi topped the points table but later lost in the playoffs stage. 

If 2021 was a bowling masterclass season then 2022 was one with the bat. In 2022 IPL season, Axar played a key role in stabilising DC’s middle order. He often came back to pavilion after finishing the games. He made crucial 182 runs for the team in 13 matches at an average of 45.50. 

Due to his invaluable contributions to the team, Axar was retained by Delhi Caitals for a staggering amound of Rs 12 crore. He was one of the highest-paid all-rounders in IPL history. He delivered exactly for the amount he was paid. He took 11 wickets for the team with economical bowling and made crucial 283 runs for the team in 14 matches. 

IPL Career Stats

Year	Team	Matches	Runs	Batting Avg	Wickets	Bowling Avg	Best Bowling	Economy Rate
2013	MI	0	–	–	–	–	–	–
2014	KXIP	17	62	8.85	17	23.58	3/24	6.13
2015	KXIP	14	206	20.60	13	28.92	2/11	7.13
2016	KXIP	14	111	13.87	13	31.23	4/21	7.14
2017	KXIP	14	227	28.37	15	24.46	3/11	7.38
2018	KXIP	9	80	11.42	3	72.33	2/19	8.38
2019	DC	14	110	18.33	10	26.50	2/22	7.13
2020	DC	15	117	14.62	9	34.78	1/17	6.41
2021	DC	12	40	13.33	15	19.40	3/21	6.65
2022	DC	13	182	45.50	6	53.33	2/10	7.47
2023	DC	14	283	28.30	11	30.36	2/13	7.19

Overall IPL Career Stats

Matches	Runs	Batting Avg	Wickets	Bowling Avg	Best Bowling	Economy Rate
140	1428	19.03	112	31.98	4/21	7.14