Axar Patel reveals Rishabh Pant did NOT prefer him bowling Super Over vs SRH; here is why

After becoming a household name in India for his tremendous performances against England earlier this year, Axar Patel seems to have kept his form going at the IPL 2021. The spinner's season debut for the Delhi Capitals is a great sign of things to come as the tournament moves on to Ahmedabad - where Patel had his fantastic run during the India vs England series. Playing at the ground where he made his international debut, Patel scalped two wickets in consecutive balls in the match and gave away just seven runs in the Super Over to win DC the game.

Axar Patel volunteered to bowl the SRH vs DC Super Over

Talking to the press after the SRH vs DC match, however, Delhi Capitals spinner Axar Patel revealed that he was not skipper Rishabh Pant's initial choice to bowl the crucial Super Over in the match. Instead, the team management was looking at sending in Avesh Khan - who ended the regulation period with brilliant figures of 3 /34 from his four overs. However, with the match on Sunday fetching him 2/26, Patel felt that spin would be a much better option on the slow Chennai pitch and made his thoughts known to Rishabh Pant.

"When I was in the dressing room, I felt that a spinner could be effective in the super over," Patel said after the match. "When I came out of the dressing room, the talk was that we would send in a fast bowler - Avesh Khan - because we felt that SRH would send in a right hand-left hand combination". "However, just as were stepping into the ground, I told Rishabh that spin would be more effective and that I could bowl the over if he wished". "He spoke to Ricky [Ponting], and it was decided at the last moment that I would bowl" Patel concluded. 

SRH vs DC Super Over

What should have been an easily winnable game for the Delhi Capitals ended with the team clinching the match in the season's first super over. Having put up 159 courtesy of some great batting from Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant and Steve Smith, the Delhi Capitals' surprisingly poor death bowling allowed the Sunrisers Hyderabad to come within touching distance of victory. An unbeaten 66 by Kane Williamson forced the game into the Super Over. 

While the Axar Patel COVID situation had kept him out of the first four games, the bowler made a stunning comeback, taking two wickets in the game and giving away just seven runs in the Super Over. As he predicted, SRH sent in skipper David Warner and Kane Williamson (a left-right hand combination). The duo struggled to get going, making a mere 7 runs. Despite this, the Super Over also went to the last ball, with Rashid Khan bowling to Rishabh Pant and Shikhar Dhawan who ensured a victory for Delhi.

Image Credits: Delhi Capitals Twitter