Axar PatelA match-winning performance in the first ODI against England in Birmingham on Tuesday may be worth more than his unbeaten 57 and figures of 4/62. It also cemented the team management’s long-term plans to make him India’s leading batsman for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.The last eight months have been tough for Axar in T20 cricket. In March, he was dropped from the World Cup match against South Africa in Ahmedabad despite being vice-captain and despite two years of establishing himself as an integral part of the Indian football establishment. At that time, he continued until Ravindra Jadeja in the lead and played a major role in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup victory.Despite his fluctuating T20 form, India’s ODI plans remain attached to him. TOI understands that the selectors are reluctant to revisit Jadeja as a first-choice option in the format. There are a few spin-bowling centers available as well Kuldeep Yadav Batting a bit deeper, the management is looking for a player capable of batting in the top seven while allowing the team to build a heavy attack in line with South Africa’s standard.“Jadeja’s bowling in white-ball cricket has not been good for some time. He played in the ICC Champions Trophy in March 2025 because India was hoping to turn the tables in Dubai. His batting power is also not at the level it was at the 2019 World Cup,” a BCCI source told TOI.“The team management will really need a lead spinner in the XI for South Africa. If Washington Sundar plays, it will be a bonus. That’s why Axar’s form is so difficult. Harsh Dubey is being groomed as his backup,” the source added. Axar’s return to Birmingham followed a predictable schedule. The left-hander admitted he had struggled in recent months after trying hard to force runs in T20 matches.“It was very important to give this kind of performance. I had to concentrate instead of thinking that it will happen automatically. I felt that I was trying to hit the ball more during the T20Is,” Axar told the broadcaster after the match. “When you go in to fight to the death, you have no other option but to go for a big shot, but I was losing my form a little bit. In the game, when we started a lot, I just wanted to build a bond,” he added.Axar has spent a long time in Jadeja’s shadow. Being abandoned in Ahmedabad earlier this year could not have been easy. Yet practices like the one in Birmingham reinforce his claim to responsibility that now comes with clarity and responsibility. For India, the road to the 2027 World Cup may depend on whether Axar can transform from reliable support to leader.
