A relatively quick spin bowler, Axar Patel’s variations, especially arm-ball, deluded the English top order in the 2021 England tour of India, which made him an overnight sensation all around the world. Thus earning the name ‘Bapu’!

Safe to say, at present, Axar Patel is one of India’s most promising all-rounders, who is famous for his left-arm orthodox spin and hard-hitting batting. Since his international cricket debut, he has been an important part of the Indian cricket setup. Over the years, he has also become a key player (and even captain) in the IPL, playing for the Delhi Capitals.

Axar Patel’s Background and Early Life

Indian cricketer Axar Rajeshbhai Patel was born on 20 January 1994 in Anand, Gujarat, India. He grew up in a close-knit Gujarati family with a strong emphasis on sports and education. Initially aspiring to become a mechanical engineer, Axar’s interest in cricket deepened during his school years when his performances in inter-school matches caught the attention of local coaches.

Encouraged by his father, he joined a cricket academy in Nadiad and honed his skills as a left-arm spinner. His dedication and natural talent soon led to his selection for Gujarat’s Under-19 and Under-23 teams, paving the way for a successful domestic career.

Axar Patel’s Domestic Career

Axar Patel made his domestic debut for Gujarat in the 2012-13 season. In his second first-class match, against Delhi in November 2013, Patel took 6 for 55 in the first innings. This was his first five-wicket haul.

Patel played just one first-class game in his debut season for Gujarat, but had a more successful showing in 2013. He was one of the key contributors to India Under-23s' title win in the 2013 ACC Emerging Teams Cup, with seven wickets, including a four-for in the semi-final against the UAE.

He was one of the consistent performers for Gujarat in the 2013/14 Ranji Trophy, finishing the season with 369 runs at an average of 46.12 and 29 wickets at 23.58. In early 2014, he was named the BCCI Under-19 cricketer of the year for the 2012/13 season.

In August 2019, he was named in the India Red team's squad for the 2019–20 Duleep Trophy. In October 2019, he was named in India C's squad for the 2019–20 Deodhar Trophy.

In just his second first-class match in November 2013, Axar took 6/55 against a world-class Delhi lineup. That’s how the Nadiad-born prospect announced his arrival to the domestic circuit.

Based on his domestic performances, Axar was added to the U-23 squad of India for the 2013 ACC Emerging Teams Cup and took 7 wickets in the tournament. Within a year of making his debut, he became one of the key and consistent performers for the Gujarat Ranji team. He finished the 2013/14 season with 369 runs and 29 wickets, proving to be an explosive all-rounder.

Axar Patel’s IPL Career

Slotted primarily as a bowling allrounder, Axar Patel signed his first Indian Premier League contract with the Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2013, although he was on the bench for the entire season. The team won the title that year, but he did not earn his debut that season.

In the next season, he was picked up by Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and had an impressive outing with 17 wickets. He was then retained by the KXIP for the 2015 IPL season. Batting lower down the order, he scored 206 runs in 2015 in addition to taking 13 wickets.

Notably, in 2016, during a match against the Gujarat Lions, he took four wickets in five balls, including the first (and only) hat-trick of the 2016 IPL season, to pave the way for Kings XI Punjab's 23-run win over the table-toppers in Rajkot. He was retained by Kings XI Punjab for the 2018 season.

Patel was signed up by the Delhi Capitals for a whopping INR 5 crore in the player auction for the 2019 Indian Premier League. Patel’s success gave balance to the Delhi lineup as he provided quick runs at the end of the innings and took wickets in the middle overs. He was later retained by the Delhi Capitals ahead of the 2021 season as well.

His best with the ball for DC came in 2021, when he took 15 wickets at an economy rate of 6.55; however, his all-round prowess came to the fore in IPL 2023. Axar was a consistent performer from the Capitals' batting unit, scoring 283 runs at a strike rate of 139.41. The tweaker also bagged 11 wickets to top off a great season overall.

For his performances and experience on the international level, Axar Patel was given the captaincy ahead of the 2025 season. Under his leadership, DC finished fifth on the points table, marginally missing out on playoff qualification.

Axar Patel’s T20I Career

Based on his consistent performances, Axar Patel was also picked for the Indian team for the ODIs and T20s, but he could not cement his place after failing to make the most of the opportunities provided to him.

After facing a snub in the 2021 T20 World Cup, Patel redeemed himself in the following edition of the tournament, forming the core of India’s squad. But his performance in the competition was rather mediocre.

He became the 11th Indian bowler to complete 200 T20 wickets in the series against Afghanistan in January 2024.

In the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, Axar Patel played a crucial role in India's successful campaign with his all-round brilliance. His standout performance came in the semi-final against England, where he took three vital wickets, helping India secure a spot in the final. Axar’s contributions with the ball proved instrumental in India’s journey to the T20 World Cup title clash.

Axar Patel’s ODI Career

Axar Patel made his ODI debut way back in 2014, but he could cement his place in 2022, during the tour to the West Indies. On that tour, he whacked his maiden ODI fifty at Port of Spain in July 2022. 

While playing in the 2023 Asia Cup, he sustained a quadriceps strain that forced him out of India’s squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup.

The left-arm spinner was also an integral part of the Indian team that clinched the 2025 Champions Trophy. His all-round contributions played a vital role in India’s triumph, further cementing his reputation as a reliable performer on the international stage.

Axar Patel’s Test Career

In January 2021, Axar was selected in the Indian Test squad for the England series. He made his Test debut in the second Test on February 13, 2021, when India was 1-0 down in the series. He made a splendid comeback to international cricket after almost three years and dismissed Joe Root for just 6 runs. He ended up taking a maiden five-wicket haul in the second innings, becoming the first spinner for India to take five wickets in a Day-Night Test match.

With this, Patel became the 9th Indian player to take a five-wicket haul on Test debut and only the second left-arm spinner after Dilip Doshi to take a five-for in his debut Test.

In the penultimate match against England, he took his maiden ten-wicket haul and recorded the best figures in a D/N Test match. He became the fastest Indian bowler to bag 50 Test wickets in terms of the number of balls bowled in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023.

(As of February 2026)