When India slumped to 34/3 in the 2024 T20 World Cup final in Barbados, an unlikely hero emerged. Axar Patel, promoted to No. 5, played a masterful knock of 47 off 31 balls alongside Virat Kohli, laying the foundation for India's triumphant title win. Rahul Dravid's clear instructions to play his natural game, stick around, and take calculated risks suited Axar's floater role perfectly.

However, that innings now stands as his finest T20I performance in over two years. Since July 1, 2024, Axar has managed only 283 runs in 25 innings at a poor strike rate of 113.65, with just 19 fours and six sixes. His power-hitting game has failed to evolve as India's batting order has become more settled, with Tilak Varma at No. 3, Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4, and Hardik Pandya providing late fireworks.

With Pandya absent and Tilak in the middle order, Shivam Dube has become India's only established finisher. In Saturday's second T20I at Old Trafford, Axar had a golden chance to step up when India needed a late surge. Coming in at No. 7 with just over two overs left, he managed only 2 runs off 3 balls, highlighting the growing concerns over his batting limitations in the shortest format.