10 things you may not know about Axar Patel

Axar Patel claimed three for 39 to take India to a much-needed victory against South Africa

In the outskirts of Ahmedabad, an hour long drive away from Gujarat's most famous city is a small industrial town called Nadiad. It houses India's upcoming cricket talent, Axar Rajeshbhai Patel.

The town has produced many scholars, country’s first deputy Prime Minister Sardar Patel came from here. Now, the 21-year old is also a name that has put Nadiad on the map.

The spinner was one of the key players that orchestrated India’s win at the second ODI vs South Africa, by taking three wickets for 39 runs at the economy rate of 3.90. Here are ten things that you may not know about the talented youngster:

1. Axar Patel was a reluctant cricketer

Given how spectacularly Axar Patel’s graph has risen over the last year, it’s hard to come to terms with his revelation that he was a reluctant cricketer to begin with. He started playing serious cricket five years ago.

He was a late-starter and apparently had no idea about cricket at this level. It was thanks to his friend Dhiren Kansara that his cricketing career took off, albeit in entirely bizarre circumstances. When he was in class nine, Kansara persuaded him to play an inter-school tournament. When Patel was told a team couldn’t be formed, he got together a group of friends to make up the numbers, thus beginning his career.

2. He wanted to become a mechanical engineer

Axar had his eyes set on studying engineering. He was a good student who topped his class till class X. But, learning of Axar’s cricketing potential from his friends in the cricket circle, his father insisted Axar take it up seriously. However, the Gujarat lad would give the impression that he was going for practice sessions and instead played gully-cricket. His father eventually discovered his son’s misadventures and made sure that Patel went for training.

3. He was inspired by his grandmother to take up cricket

Another emotional influence was his grandmother, who understood that “blue T-shirt waale” played for India. She would tell Axar about wanting to watch him play on television. When Axar made his One-Day International debut against Bangladesh, she wasn’t there to savour the moment.

She passed away while he was playing a district game and Axar has always rued the fact that he couldn’t even be there for her funeral. It was then that his resolve to play for India and appear on television strengthened.

4. In the beginning, cricket was only a substitute for gym

Axar’s father Rajesh Patel was worried that his son was physically not very strong. In his pursuit of making Axar fitter and stronger, arrived his first tryst with cricket. He was enrolled in a gym. However, he would come back home and complain that he was not allowed to pick the dumb bells. That's when he himself came up with this option to play cricket as an alternative to keep him fit. This idea appealed to his father and it seems that destiny had better things in store for him.

5. When he almost gave up cricket

When Patel was selected for the Gujarat U-19 team in 2010, tragedy struck. Patel hurt his leg at home during the Diwali break that ruled him out for the entire season. He needed around eight to 10 stitches on his leg. He was so scared that he wanted to quit the game because he felt that he couldn’t go through the grind again, but came back inspired by his grandmother’s last wish.

6. Had a 7 wicket haul in the ACC Emerging Cup 2013

He was one of the key contributors when India won the Under-23 title in the ACC Emerging Teams Cup 2013, with seven wickets. He also snatched away four wickets in the semi-final against UAE.

7. Was a Ranji Trophy success story

He made his Ranji Trophy debut against Madhya Pradesh in November, 2012, but that was the only game he played that season for Gujarat. However, he had a more successful showing in 2013. 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 an economy rate of 23.58 in seven matches, ending up as the side’s third highest wicket-taker.

8. When he sat out for a whole IPL season

The left-arm orthodox spinner was given an IPL contract by Mumbai Indians for IPL-6, but did not get a game. In 2013, he had a successful time at the Ranji. This impressed the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) management, who were looking for some local talent ahead of the auctions for IPL 7. Eventually, KXIP's decision to rope him into the squad turned out to be a masterstroke as Patel went on to become one the top performers of the season. Although he considers himself as a batting all-rounder, Patel troubled many a batsman with his accurate, wicket-to-wicket bowling and ended the tournament with 17 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6.22 and also scored a few handy runs with the bat. He was adjudged the 'Emerging Player of the Year' for IPL.

9. Was awarded the BCCI U-19 Cricketer of the Year

In 2014, after his impressive Ranji stint, noteworthy IPL performance and an India call-up, Patel was awarded the BCCI Under-19 Cricketer of the Year 2013-2014.

10. Six overs, six maidens, four wickets

Axar Patel's 6-6-0-4 helped India A defeat South Africa A in the second unofficial Test and claim the series 1-0. South Africa A had no chance against the Gujarat spinner on the final day of their Test at Wayanad. The batsmen, in their second innings, fell like a pack of cards as the 21-year-old not only claimed four wickets but did not give away a single run in his six overs - an effort which helped his side win the match by an innings and 81 runs on August 28, 2015. Patel had also claimed a fifer (5/92) in South Africa A's first innings.