‘Bapu Axar’ who fought to defend India's title!

Team India`s vice-captain Axar Patel (Pic: AFP)

Team India scripted history by successfully defending the T20 World Cup title. This was the first time a team successfully defended their shortest-format world title. The "Men in Blue" also became the first team to clinch the title three times.

Batting first, the "Men in Blue" posted a mammoth total of 256 runs for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs. Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan smashed half-centuries. Later, burly all-rounder Shivam Dube also played a fiery cameo of an unbeaten 26 runs in just eight deliveries.

Chasing a target of 256, New Zealand was bowled out for 159 runs in 19 overs. Team India's lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah returned with figures of four for 15 in four overs. Hardik Pandya, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Abhishek also chipped in with one wicket each.

During the title clash, the player who stood out was Team India's vice-captain, Axar Patel. Having bowled three overs, he claimed three wickets for 27 runs.

Even in the semi-final against England, Axar played a crucial role in the second innings of the match. He grabbed two stunning catches and also managed to pick up one wicket against the "Three Lions".

Axar also played a crucial role in the previous edition of the global showpiece, when Team India suffered an unexpected collapse in the final against South Africa. The left-hander supported stalwart Virat Kohli in the innings and scored 47 runs (a boundary and four maximums) in 31 deliveries. Later, he also scalped one wicket while conceding 49 runs in four overs.

Over the years, the 32-year-old cricketer has become one of the pillars of the Indian team in T20 Internationals (T20Is) and One-Day Internationals (ODIs).

Axar is fondly called "Bapu" in the Indian dressing room.

Interestingly, the nickname was given by former skipper MS Dhoni after the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, as both Axar and the freedom fighter hail from Gujarat.

While the nickname was limited to the dressing room, fans learnt about it after a video of Kohli telling the Gujarat-born cricketer, "Aee Bapu thari bowling kamal che (Bapu, your bowling was outstanding)" went viral after Axar showcased his skills with the ball in one of the Test matches.

Team India's star bowler Arshdeep Singh also shared a reel on his official social media handle alongside Axar. In the video, the pacer is seen saying, "Ek Bapu ne azaadi dilayi, dusre ne trophy".

So the next time someone asks, "What has cricket's Bapu done for the nation?", his recent contributions on the cricket field offer a fitting answer.