Leg and Off: Who should India pick if Axar Patel is ruled out of IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash?

Veteran spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel suffered an injury to the head while fielding in India's final Asia Cup 2025 Group A clash against Oman on September 19. It leaves his participation for the all-important encounter against Pakistan as India begin their Super Fours in doubt.

The injury happened as Axar attempted to take a skier in the 15th over of Oman's run chase, only to drop the chance and lose his balance. One of India's unsung heroes, the 31-year-old has become the guts and glue of their T20I unit over the past few years.

With his ability to bat anywhere in the order and bowl in the powerplay and the middle overs, Axar offers a package very few in world cricket do. Hence, the Men in Blue have a major headache on hand should they need to replace the left-arm spinning all-rounder for the Pakistan contest.

Yet, India's 15-member squad boasts enormous talent, and several of the reserves could serve as Axar's replacement.

On that note, let us deep dive into the contenders to replace Axar Patel should he be ruled out of the India-Pakistan Super Four clash.

Contenders

Team India made a couple of changes by bringing in Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana for Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy for the inconsequential final Group A clash against Oman. However, it is a no-brainer to suggest that the side that played in their first two matches should be back for the upcoming Pakistan clash.

Should that be the Indian XI, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh, and Jitesh Sharma will be the four contenders vying for Axar Patel's spot if the veteran all-rounder is ruled out. Considering that the lineup with Axar had only three specialist bowlers, himself and Hardik Pandya as the fifth bowling option, Axar's replacement almost certainly has to be a four-over bank.

If Jitesh or Rinku replace Axar, India will be left with the combination of Hardik, Shivam Dube, and possibly Abhishek Sharma to bowl eight out of the 20 overs. The ludicrousity of the same effectively rules Jitesh and Rinku as replacement options for Axar.

It leaves one of Arshdeep or Harshit as the best bet to replace Axar Patel in the 11 for the India-Pakistan contest.

Contenders: Arshdeep Singh or Harshit Rana

Arshdeep Singh or Harshit Rana - Who should replace Axar Patel?

One of Harshit Rana or Arshdeep Singh will play their second consecutive game of the Asia Cup [Credit: Getty]

The outcome of the two-way battle between Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana as Axar Patel's replacement will hinge on what the team management prioritizes for this particular match against Pakistan. While both pacers possess the ability to bowl across phases, Arshdeep's accomplishments, left-arm angle, and experience make him the obvious choice if only bowling is considered.

For starters, Arshdeep is India's all-time leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 100 scalps, while Harshit has played only the two T20I games. Furthermore, the former has the experience and know-how of delivering on the big stage, evidenced by his performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Both pacers were seemingly rusty in the Oman encounter, meaning there isn't much to choose from form-wise.

However, with either of the two likely to bat at No. 8, the better ball-striker between Arshdeep and Harshit must be baked into the decision. Here, the latter, with his big-hitting ability and first-class batting average of over 31, has the edge.

While Arshdeep is no walking-wicket with the bat, he lengthens the tail considerably compared to Harshit.

Team India must decide between Arshdeep's substantially better new-ball, death, and overall bowling and Harshit's potential runs at No. 8. Against a Pakistan side India have dominated in the recent years, either choice will still have them as massive favorites heading into the contest.

That said, a reasonable 10-ball six-hitter at 8 in Harshit may not be as vital as having a fourth bankable bowler like Arshdeep for this encounter. Thus, India should go with Arshdeep Singh as Axar Patel's replacement should the latter be ruled out for the Pakistan clash.

Verdict: Arshdeep Singh should be Axar Patel's replacement in the XI, assuming India's preferred lineup is the same as the one that started the Asia Cup.