Suresh Raina feels that Axar Patel has confirmed his ticket to be a part of the T20 World Cup 2024 squad after his phenomenla performance in the first T20I against Afghanistan.

In the first T20I against Afghanistan, Axar delivered a commendable performance, securing 2 wickets for just 23 runs in his four-over spell. His bowling was instrumental in India’s victory, as he managed to break Afghanistan’s momentum on a flat pitch at the IS Bindra Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali.

Despite challenging cold weather conditions, Axar’s focus on his strengths and patience paid off, allowing him to outsmart the Afghan batters, including the dismissal of opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz. His efforts contributed significantly to India’s six-wicket win and a 1-0 lead in the series.

Speaking on Colors Cineplex, Raina said that Axar has been delivering with bat and ball when given the chance and feels he may have done enough to be warranted of a place in the T20 World Cup squad.

“He (Axar) bowls in the powerplay. He has done well whenever he has batted. (Pragyan) Ojha can tell better about his trajectory as he is himself a left-arm spinner. He varies his pace, the way he dismissed (Rahmanullah) Gurbaz. I feel his ticket is confirmed,” said Raina.

Pragyan Ojha agrees with Suresh Raina’s claim on Axar Patel for T20 World Cup

Pragyan Ojha agreed with Raina and said that Axar should be a part of the side. The former spinner said that the all-rounder performs well when he is given the chance and his game-reading sense is top-class.

“He should be kept. When a bowler or an all-rounder remains in and out of the team and performs whenever given a chance, it means his game-reading sense is top-class, his game awareness is always intact,” said Ojha.

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