Axar Patel Joins Ravindra Jadeja as the Only Indians With 2000+ Runs and 200+ Wickets in T20 Cricket

Sunday saw Axar Patel claim his 6th Player of the Match award after leading India to yet another convincing victory over visiting Afghanistan. The six-wicket triumph in the second T20 International at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore also guaranteed that India established an unassailable 2-0 lead in the historic three-match series.

Virat Kohli's most-awaited return and the news that Rohit Sharma would be making his 150th T20I appearance a first for the world dominated the build-up to the game. However, with statistics of 2/17 in four overs, Patel was the one who backed the team strongly.

Although the Afghans posted their highest total in this specific match, Axar, a self-described batting all-rounder, didn't even get to bat as the Indian top-order easily dispatched the chase for back-to-back six-wicket victories. India and Afghanistan are playing their first-ever limited-overs bilateral series.

Following the game, the Gujarati 29-year-old revealed that he had "just realized" that he had "got 200 T20 wickets" - an achievement that ten other Indians had previously attained. Patel omitted to note that he is only the second Indian, after Ravindra Jadeja, to capture 200 wickets in the game's shortest format while simultaneously scoring more than 2000 runs.

Patel has smashed 2545 runs at a strike rate of 134.65 and claimed 200 wickets at an economy of 6.97 in 234 T20 matches. In 310 T20 matches, Jadeja has taken 216 wickets (7.57 economy) and scored 3382 runs (129.33 strike rate). Well, Jadeja is India's first-choice spin-bowling all-rounder. Jadeja is frequently regarded as the gold standard for all-around players.

Axar Patel has made 361 runs (144.4 strike rate) and claimed 49 wickets (7.27 economy) in 52 T20 Internationals for the Indian national cricket squad. Jadeja, on the other hand, has amassed 480 runs (125.33 strike rate) and 53 wickets (7.1) in 66 matches.

"I have been trying to bowl a bit slower, vary my lengths and now I have been to gauge these things better," Patel, who also plies his trade for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, continued. "Now I have the confidence to bowl at all times, even in the powerplay. You need to be mentally prepared as a bowler in T20 cricket. Ready to concede a six because that same ball could get you a wicket on another day."

Rohit Sharma brought Axar Patel in the sixth over. The left-arm spinner produced a stunning blow with his fourth delivery, dismissing Ibrahim Zadran for his 199th T20 wicket. Patel got Gulbadin Naib caught by Rohit for his prestigious 200th wicket in his last over.

Axar is back in the game after missing the T20I series in South Africa. He is anticipated to play a significant role in Wednesday's third and final T20 India vs. Afghanistan match in Bengaluru. India's T20I series comes to an end with this one before the ICC T20 World Cup in June.

When India plays England in a five-match series beginning on January 25, Ravindra Jadeja is anticipated to return to the Test team. For the first two Test matches, which will be held in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin, along with Patel and Jadeja, have been chosen for the Indian side. Jadeja, was forced out of the Boxing Day Test against South Africa owing to his back injury which made him sidelined from the ongoing T20I series.