'Didn't Let SA Settle': Wasim Jaffer Feels Someone Other Than Virat Kohli Was India's Key Batter In T20 WC Final

Axar Patel scored a crucial 31 ball 47 in the final against South Africa. (AFP)

The T20 World Cup final was headlined by a Player of the Match performance by Virat Kohli and Wasim Jaffer has no doubt about that. The former India opener, however, feels it was Axar Patel who deserves much praise for saving the team from a batting collapse. Axar was promoted up in the order after India lost three wickets in the final against South Africa.

The all-rounder, mainly known for his spin-bowling prowess, stepped up with a crucial 47-run cameo featuring four sixes and a boundary. He stitched an inning-reviving 72-run stand with Kohli, helping India regain momentum. Axar kept the scoreboard ticking with occasional boundaries while Kohli held the wickets at the other end.

Wasim Jaffer hailed Axar Patel for his impactful batting performance after India beat South Africa in Barbados to claim the second T20 World Cup title. Speaking about the historic occasion on his YouTube channel, Jaffer discussed how Virat Kohli’s batting form made the difference for India in the final.

“Virat Kohli hadn’t scored many runs in the tournament, but he chose the right moment to come good. Cometh the hour, cometh the man as we say, his knock of 76 made a lot of difference and kept one end intact,” the 46-year-old said.

While Virat Kohli is credited for building the foundation, Wasim Jaffer reckons Axar Patel’s blistering show helped India to maintain a good run rate. “The most important part I thought was played by Axar Patel. The cameo that he played ensured that the run rate from India never dropped below eight runs per over. He took the attack to the South African bowlers and didn’t let them settle, forming a crucial partnership with Kohli,” Jaffer explained.

At the end of the video, the former cricketer shared his thoughts about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s T20I retirement. The veteran duo bid adieu to the shortest format after ending India’s 11-year-long wait for an ICC trophy.

Highlighting their legacy in T20I cricket, Wasim Jaffer said, “Two giants of the game (Rohit and Kohli) have retired from T20Is and this will certainly form a big gap. However, they rightly chose to go out on a high after winning the trophy and we should bow down to the true greats of the game.”

Virat Kohli has played 125 T20Is for India to aggregate 4188 runs including 38 fifties and one hundred. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma has represented the country in 159 T20Is to record 4231 runs at an average of over 32.