"Even for just one game, I will wear blue T-shirt and play for India!" - Axar Patel shares emotional story of late grandmother
Axar Patel has been quite successful in both white-ball and red-ball cricket for India in the brief career that he has had. Every young cricketer who wishes to play for India has some turning point in his early days where he becomes serious about the sport.
For Patel, it was the demise of his grandmother that made him focus on cricket. The 28-year-old was always talented and played cricket as he had a passion for it. However, it was his late grandmother's wish to watch him on TV wearing the blue jersey of the Indian team and that was what motivated him.
Speaking on the YouTube show, 'Breakfast with Champions', here's what Axar Patel had to say about his late grandmother and the promise that he made to his father:
"I was my grandmother's favorite as I was the youngest in the house. When I used to go to play matches, she used to ask, 'Will you come on TV now?' She used to understand that blue jersey means India. I was playing for the U16 team and the state team but I used to play for fun. But my grandmother got a heart attack and she passed away."
Patel went on to add:
"My father told me, 'I haven't asked for anything from you. But today I want you to fulfill my mother's wish'. I promised him that even if it might be for just one game, I will wear blue T-Shirt and play for India."
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Axar Patel shares funny story involving his father
Axar Patel shares a great camaraderie with his father, who pushed him to join a camp and become serious about playing the sport. But the 28-year-old used to get bored in the camp and would often bunk it to play cricket with his friends, Patel revealed.
He also shared a funny story about how he became serious about the camp and how a small pack of Parle G biscuits would provide him with extra motivation to attend it.
"When we went for training, there was no batting, bowling, just catching practice and front foot, back foot drills," he said. "I began to bunk and started playing rubber-ball cricket with friends. But the secretary was dad's friend, so he got to know and he followed me one day. I came back home and realized, "Daya, kuch to gadbad hai!" My dad scolded me for bunking. But then I was regular later. Getting four Parle G biscuits at the end of the day was an incentive."
Axar Patel can definitely make a case for himself in India's T20 World Cup squad if he has a strong season with the Delhi Capitals (DC).