NEW DELHI: Indian all-rounder
Axar Patel
shared his thoughts on the newly-appointed T20I captain
Suryakumar Yadav
. Patel described Yadav as a "bowler's captain" and a person with a carefree attitude.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (
BCCI
) announced Suryakumar Yadav as the captain of the T20I team for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. Additionally,
Shubman Gill
has been named as the vice-captain for both the T20I and ODI squads.
The white-ball series in Sri Lanka is set to commence on July 27, featuring three T20Is and an equal number of ODIs.
This tour will mark India's first international engagement under the guidance of their newly-appointed head coach,
Gautam Gambhir
, who assumed the role earlier this month.
Axar, in an interview with ESPNCricinfo, mentioned that he has spent considerable time with Suryakumar. He noted that Suryakumar's presence helps in maintaining a vibrant atmosphere within the team.
"I have spent a lot of time with Suryakumar. Surya Bhai is a happy-go-lucky guy. He keeps the atmosphere lively and loves doing mimicry and such fun stuff. I know he will keep the atmosphere cool. I recently played a five-game T20I series (against Australia) when he was the captain. I know he is a bowler's captain," Axar told ESPNCricinfo, as quoted by ANI.
"He gives the bowlers the fields they ask for. And it was like that with me, too. I do not think there will be a lot of change. We will get to know now, playing under his captaincy, about his mindset. You cannot judge someone's captaincy by one tour. When we play more, we will get to know more of his captaincy style."
Axar mentioned that he will be having discussions with Gautam Gambhir, the recently appointed head coach, to gain clarity on his role within the team.
Axar expressed his positive outlook on being utilized as a floater in the batting lineup, where he is deployed at various positions and scenarios.
He views this role as a sign of trust from the captain and coach, who rely on him to perform in challenging circumstances. Axar also mentioned that his IPL team, the Delhi Capitals (DC), has employed him in a similar capacity.
"When the team needs someone to stand up, they are banking on me to deliver. That means they have seen something in me. When the team trusts you to deliver in such crunch situations, you start trusting yourself even more automatically. And once you deliver in one or two matches, it gives your confidence a different sort of boost altogether."
"It is not as if this has happened just once or twice. I have been asked to perform this role for Delhi Capitals and other teams as well. After a point, you get used to it and it does not matter which position you are batting in. You are confident in batting in any position and you know what to do in that situation," he added.
Axar has had limited opportunities to showcase his skills on the international stage. Despite being a part of the squad for several years, he has only played in 14 Tests, 57 ODIs, and 60 T20Is. This is largely due to the presence of more experienced all-rounders like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who have been given preference in the playing eleven.
The all-rounder is not looking too far ahead, as he is focused on short-term goals based on the roles he is expected to play.
"It should not happen that I am asked to perform some role and my goals do not align with it," he says. "I do not believe in long-term planning. I just look at the present, what's in front of me and just the short-term goals is what I look at" he concluded.
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