Star India all-rounder Axar Patel feels that his new batting position in the lineup has given him a lot more confidence and allowed him to play with more flexibility. He used to believe that his lower-order position was preventing him from making a significant contribution. But his recent Champions Trophy performances—especially against New Zealand—have reaffirmed his worth as a reliable choice in India's white-ball lineup. Even Indian captain Rohit Sharma has revealed that their clear message to him was they want to play him at number 5 no matter what the scenario is.
Rohit Sharma on Axar Patel and team's middle order
Rohit said that the team's capacity to score runs from middle-order was essential in the latter stages of the tournament.
"The middle-order is very experienced but to just get some batting time in the middle and to get those runs and get that fighting total was very very important from our standpoint. Shreyas, KL, Hardik and Axar, they batted brilliantly which is a good sign for us going into the semis because we wanted to have these kind of situations where we are slightly under pressure and then the middle-order takes us through to that target which they did," he said.
Rohit praised Axar for returning the think tank's faith in him, and he was elevated to No. 5 ahead of KL Rahul.
"The clear message was given to him when we started the ODI series against England. That no matter what, you will bat at No. 5. The kind of improvement he has shown with the bat over the last year or so is superb and that is where we felt that we can utilise him in the middle. He likes to take the game on, likes to play his shots. And sometimes when you are in trouble, you want to always take that positive route. He showed it in the T20 World Cup final (2024) which was a very, very crucial knock," he added.
Axar on batting at number 5
After India's top order faltered against the Kiwi pace attack, which was led by Matt Henry, Axar produced a pivotal innings against New Zealand, scoring 42 off 61 balls at No. 5. His innings was crucial to India's 44-run victory on Sunday, which guaranteed them a spot at the top of Group A and an undefeated group stage finish. In an interview with the media following the game, Axar emphasized how, instead of playing under pressure in the lower order, batting higher up the order has given him the confidence to approach his innings and adjust to the demands of the team.
"When I get an opportunity, I try to bat based on the situation. But now, the approach has changed. Earlier, I used to come down and had to make runs quickly. Now, I know that there are more batsmen behind me, so I can play accordingly. I know that I have a lot of time. It depends on the requirements of the team as well, and if I feel that I have to attack the spinner, I play accordingly, like I had a partnership in this match (vs NZ), and we could have a good total," Axar said.
