PUN vs. DEL: Delhi’s Axar Patel becomes the fourth player to get 1000 runs and 100 wickets in the Indian T20 League

Axar Patel has been one of the most consistent all-rounders since he made his debut in 2014 in the Indian T20 League. In his very first season for the Punjab franchise in 2014, he picked up 17 wickets in 17 games at just a 6.13 economy rate and was one of the major factors for Punjab’s runners-up finish that season. 

He caught the selectors’ eye and was subsequently picked up in the Indian squad and later made a part of India’s World Championship team in 2015. His impressive performance proved to be the reason he was retained by the Punjab franchise for consecutive seasons. He was also the only player from Punjab to be retained ahead of the 2018 mega auctions for 12.5 crores.

Ahead of the 2019 season, he was recruited by the Delhi franchise and since then has been a crucial part of their squad. He has taken more than 40 wickets and scored over 400 runs at a fair strike rate of about 129. 

In Monday's match against Punjab, he became the 4th player in the Indian T20 League history to score 1000 runs and take over 100 wickets. The only Indian player before him to do so is Ravindra Jadeja. The other two are Sunil Narine and Dwayne Bravo.

Axar Patel has improved his performance in the past few years and has increased his level of power-hitting. It was therefore no surprise that he was retained by Delhi ahead of the 2022 Mega Auctions. In the current Indian T20 League season, Axar hasn’t picked up many wickets with the ball but has been economical. Although he has won a home game for his team with the bat in hand, he has to come back in business with the ball to help his team qualify for the playoffs.