Hardik Pandya & Axar Patel: India’s Ultimate Clutch Kings For Asia Cup 2025

Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel were the two biggest game-changers in India’s triumphant 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, where the Men in Blue finally ended their agonising 11-year-long wait for an ICC trophy. The two all-rounders from Gujarat played pivotal roles in shaping India’s destiny in that tournament, but fast forward 14 months, and the spotlight has drifted elsewhere. 

That’s largely because the landscape of Indian T20 cricket has undergone a massive shift since the World Cup win. Old guards like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja have all retired from T20Is, leaving space for a new generation of stroke-makers. 

The likes of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Tilak Varma have stormed onto the scene with a string of breathtaking performances. Between them, the trio has hammered seven centuries in just 20 T20Is since the last T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. They have taken India’s batting to a whole new level.

As is often the case in T20 cricket, the top three have hogged most of the runs and, naturally, most of the limelight. Then there is India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, who hasn’t been at his best in this phase, scoring just 258 runs in 14 innings at an average of 18.43. However, he is coming off an excellent Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. And with a player like SKY in the line-up, there is always going to be attention on the flamboyant batter from Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Varun Chakravarthy and Arshdeep Singh have led India’s T20I bowling unit in this period. Jasprit Bumrah has not featured in a T20I since that final at Bridgetown, but his return was always going to be timed to perfection. He is set to lead the attack again in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, a crucial rehearsal for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

India have maintained their dominance over the past 14 months, clinching T20I series wins against England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe. But bilaterals don’t test teams the way multi-nation tournaments do. The pressure, the stakes, and the unpredictability of such events demand a different breed of cricketer, someone who can do it all, and that is precisely where Pandya and Axar come in.

India’s success in the 2024 T20WC and the 2025 Champions Trophy had their fingerprints all over it. And while the likes of Abhishek, Samson, Tilak, SKY, or even Bumrah might walk away with more runs and wickets, the heartbeat of India’s challenge in the Asia Cup - and more importantly, the 2026 T20WC - will be the balance and depth provided by Pandya and Axar.

After all, as the old saying goes, batters win you matches, but bowlers win you tournaments. But in most instances, neither of those would be possible without quality all-rounders. As India prepare for the Asia Cup and the 2026 T20WC, here’s why they will rely so heavily on Pandya and Axar once again.

Axar is the only “real floater” in India’s batting line-up

The spin-bowling all-rounder from Nadiad was India’s biggest unsung hero with the bat in the last two ICC events. Axar batted in four different positions in the 2024 T20 World Cup under Rahul Dravid and later settled at No.5 under current head coach Gautam Gambhir in the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Axar played a crucial innings in almost every match of the above-mentioned events, including 20 off 18 vs Pakistan on a tricky New York surface in the 2024 T20WC, 47 off 31 in the final against South Africa, 42 vs New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, 27 vs Australia in the semi-final, and 29 once again vs New Zealand in the final.

In the last few years, he has proven he can bat anywhere in the order, adapting seamlessly to match situations - an unmatched skill among India’s Asia Cup squad. The 31-year-old is averaging 60 with a strike rate close to 150 against spin in T20Is since 2022, while maintaining a strike rate of 139.83 against pace. He also had a decent IPL 2025, scoring 263 runs at 26.3 with a strike rate of 157.5.

If India suffer a top-order collapse in the Asia Cup, Axar can be promoted without hesitation. He combines the power to attack both spin and pace with the intelligence to pace his innings if and when needed. Other options like Jitesh Sharma and Rinku Singh don’t offer this versatility; their impact is limited to the number of overs remaining, not match scenarios like Axar.

It’s likely that in a long tournament, India’s top-order batters may fail together, and that’s when Axar’s batting becomes indispensable.

Don’t ignore his left-arm spin

Axar’s left-arm spin makes him equally valuable with the ball. Among spinners from top-10 ranked teams who have bowled in at least 20 innings since 2024, he boasts the best economy rate (7.1) in T20Is. On some of the flattest surfaces in India and South Africa, he has kept his economy at 7.5 or lower in 13 of 20 innings, conceding more than 10 runs only twice.

India don’t just have a versatile batter in Axar; they also have a spinner who can operate across all three phases. Since 2024, he has bowled 15 overs in the powerplay, picking up 4 wickets at an economy of 9, which isn’t too bad in this era. Post-powerplay, his economy drops to 6.4, with an average of 13.2 and 12.3 balls per wicket.

Add to this his reliability in the field, and it’s clear why India can only pick one of Kuldeep Yadav or Varun Chakravarthy in the XI, despite their stellar IPL 2025 campaigns. Many spin-bowling all-rounders exist in Indian cricket, but none match the quality of Axar.

Pandya: India’s go-to man for big moments

Pandya’s impact in big tournaments is well-known. His confidence and swagger in high-pressure moments are unmatched, and he consistently delivers in knockout games.

In the 2024 T20 World Cup, Pandya scored 144 runs at an average of 48 with a strike rate of 151.6, alongside 11 wickets at an economy of 7.6. In the Champions Trophy, he added 99 runs at a strike rate of 106.5 and four wickets. These numbers don’t always top the charts, but Pandya thrives in decisive moments.

From a fiery 23 off 13 in the 2024 T20WC semi-final against England, to dismissing Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller in the final vs South Africa, to three pivotal sixes in the CT 2025 semi-final against Australia, Pandya has consistently delivered under pressure for India.

Since the last T20 World Cup, limited batting opportunities have not hindered him; he has still managed 320 runs in 13 innings at 35.56 with a strike rate of 145.4, along with 10 wickets. In six of seven innings where he batted before the 12th over, he contributed significantly.

His only slight concern - strike rate against spin - rarely becomes an issue in major games. He has punished top spinners like Shakib Al Hasan, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Adam Zampa, and Imad Wasim in ICC events.

Pandya had a decent IPL 2025 but will elevate his game in the Asia Cup. Whether anchoring the middle overs, scoring at a strike rate of 200 at the death, or bowling in the powerplay and death, Pandya’s all-round prowess is invaluable. 

Few players worldwide can match this level of impact. You don’t always need to look at his stats; Pandya has a rare knack for stepping up in the biggest events. That’s why he is rightly called Clutch Pandya.

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India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad may be full of exciting stars, but Axar and Pandya will be the strongest pillars of the side. With the bat, the ball, and in the field, they bring balance, depth, firepower, and the knack for changing a game. In high-pressure moments, they are the ones captain Suryakumar and head coach Gambhir will count on to change the course of the game.