"Respect for you brother " - Gujarat's Ranji Trophy captain pens down heartfelt poem for Axar Patel during SMAT 2024
Team India all-rounder Axar Patel is leading Gujarat in the ongoing edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024. The 30-year-old recently received a heartfelt poem from teammate Chintan Gaja during the domestic T20 tournament.
Gaja, Gujarat's captain for Ranji Trophy 2024-25, took to his Instagram account to dedicate a special poem to Axar. The verse read:
"You play as graceful as a peacock, with confidence until the peak! Never a time were you defeated, and in your personality I see no leak! With bravery till it's greatest, you enter the battle field! Then you show them what you are, without a single scar!"
Sharing the poem, Gaja wrote:
"Respect for you brother"
Led by Axar Patel, Gujarat have performed admirably in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. With five wins from six matches, they occupy the second place in the Group B standings.
Axar has bagged four wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 6.73, while also contributing 78 runs across four innings with the bat.
Gujarat successfully chased down 183 runs in just 13.1 overs to clinch an eight-wicket victory over Uttarakhand on Tuesday, December 3. They will next take on Karnataka on Thursday, December 5.
"He is someone who will command respect" - Aakash Chopra feels Axar Patel is the ideal guy to lead DC in IPL 2025
After parting ways with Rishabh Pant ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction, the Delhi Capitals (DC) are searching for a new captain. DC's ₹14 core-buy KL Rahul seems to be among the frontrunners for the leadership position.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra believes that the Delhi team management should consider making Axar Patel the new skipper. Suggesting that he will run the team efficiently, the cricketer-turned-commentator said in a video shared on his YouTube channel:
"Who will be the captain? Their situation is like KKR. It could be Axar Patel. I don't mind him being the captain. If you give me the option, I would say make Axar the captain. He is extremely underrated, very mature, fantastic performer, and he will run the team very well. He is someone who will command respect."
Axar was named the stand-in captain for DC's league match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after regular skipper Rishabh Pant was banned for one match due to a slow over-rate offense.