"Won a billion hearts today" - Fans laud Axar Patel as plays a breathtaking knock to almost take India to famous win

Axar Patel almost took India to victory with his batting exploits in the second T20I of the ongoing three-match series against Sri Lanka in Pune on Thursday, January 5.

Walking out to bat at No.7, Axar played a scintillating knock to give Indian fans a glimmer of hope as the Men in Blue were chasing a daunting 207-run target at the MCA Stadium. The left-handed batter took the Sri Lankan bowlers to the cleaners, mustering 65 runs off just 31 balls.

Axar entertained the viewers with his strokeplay, hitting six brilliant sixes along with three fours. It is worth mentioning that the southpaw completed a hat-trick of sixes in the 14th over bowled by Wanindu Hasaranga.

Several fans took to social media, lauding the all-rounder for stepping up with the bat under pressure. Here are some of the reactions on Twitter:

Notably, India were in a spot of bother when Axar Patel came to bat as the Men in Blue were reeling at 57/5. Hardik Pandya and Co. had an uphill task given that they still required 150 more runs to win the contest.

However, Axar stitched together crucial partnerships with Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Mavi to take the game to the final over.

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Axar Patel's heroics went in vain as top-order batters let India down in a mammoth run chase

Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first in what was a must-win encounter for them. The visitors dominated the Indian bowlers, registering an imposing total of 206 thanks to fine half-centuries from Dasun Shanaka (56*) and Kusal Mendis (52).

Axar Patel was the pick of the Indian bowlers in the high-scoring encounter. The left-arm spinner picked up two crucial wickets and conceded just 24 runs from his full quota of four overs.

Team India didn't have an ideal start to their run chase, with the top-order batters getting out cheaply. Apart from Axar, Suryakumar Yadav contributed significantly with the bat, aggregating 51 runs off 36 balls.

While Shivam Mavi too chipped in with a quick-fire cameo of 26 runs in 15 deliveries, it wasn't enough, as the Hardik Pandya-led side ultimately lost the match by 16 runs.