4 min readAhmedabadMar 9, 2026 12:29 AM IST
Not long after India’s semifinal victory over England, Axar Patel was asked about the prospect of playing the final at a venue that, despite its grandeur, had often been branded as a ‘panauti’, a jinx.
Heartbreaks at the Narendra Modi Stadium were hard to forget, from Australia’s ruthless dismantling of India in the 2023 World Cup final to South Africa’s sobering Super 8s reality check in the T20 World Cup. But Axar, with his trademark wit, fired back: “Mein nahi khela na,” he chuckled. (I didn’t play!)
A decade had passed since Axar’s debut, and yet, a big-tournament match at this very ground — his home turf — had always eluded him. Left out of the 2023 ODI World Cup squad and dropped from the T20 World Cup XI for key matches, including the loss to South Africa, his place in the team seemed uncertain. But when the call came, Axar delivered.
On Sunday night, his spell sparked a collapse in New Zealand’s batting line-up, setting the stage for Jasprit Bumrah, another local hero, to seal the show with a devastating four-wicket haul.
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With the 96-run win, India became the first team to successfully defend a T20 World Cup title and the first men’s side to lift the trophy on home soil. And in that victory, the significance of these two homegrown talents was undeniable.
Axar’s journey from a small town to the world stage was never a given. Nadiad, overshadowed by the state’s two cricketing powerhouses Baroda and Saurashtra, now holds a special place in Indian cricket.
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It’s a town where canals and local tea stalls pulse to the rhythm of Axar’s life — and where his cricketing story began. The canal that winds through Nadiad’s heart marks the humble beginning of Axar’s cricketing journey. But its most glorious chapter was written roughly 60 km from there, under the bright lights of Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.
By the time New Zealand’s innings began, a nervous energy had gripped the stadium. Shivam Dube had put down Finn Allen in the first over, and soon after, Tim Seifert smashed consecutive sixes off Hardik Pandya, signaling the Kiwis’ intent. In that decisive moment, Suryakumar Yadav turned to Axar.
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Against England in the semis, the captain had tossed the ball to Varun Chakravarthy early. But this time, Yadav, knowing Axar’s mastery in Powerplays, course-corrected.
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And Axar wasted no time. He pitched his fourth ball outside off, Allen misjudged it, and Tilak Varma took a sharp catch. In his second over, Axar sent Glenn Phillips packing with a stunning arm ball that cleaned him up. Phillips stood helpless as Axar broke into a jig.
In less than five overs, three New Zealand wickets had fallen. The chase, of a daunting 256, now seemed out of reach.
Between Axar’s twin strikes, Bumrah did what he does best. Yadav wisely front-loaded him, using his overs early, including two in the Powerplay. And Bumrah, as usual, was lethal, employing his trademark slow yorkers to devastating effect. He flummoxed Rachin Ravindra with a slow ball as the batter was caught by Ishan Kishan in the deep, then followed up with two back-to-back yorkers to clean-bowl James Neesham and Matt Henry. His spell ended with another slow yorker to dismiss Mitchell Santner — as Bumrah raised his arms and saluted the stumps.
Bumrah, India’s death-over king, was in his element, his figures of 4/15 stealing the limelight. But it was Axar’s brilliance that set the tone for this historic win.
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