Follow UsAxar Patel was all praise for fellow Gujarati Hardik Pandya after India lifted the Champions Trophy 2025, beating New Zealand in the final on March 9 (Sunday) in Dubai.
Lauding the Mumbai Indians captain for his brilliant composure in pressure situations, Axar told Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the event in India, “Jab hum sabki fatt jati hain, tab Hardik Pandya sabse jyada confident hota hain (When we’re all under pressure, Hardik Pandya is the most confident guy).”
Axar was also all praise for head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma, both of whom backed him to play at number five and deliver for the team.
“I believe that the decision taken by the captain (Rohit Sharma) and the coach (Gautam Gambhir) was made after a lot of thought, and today, when the results are in, it is truly a cause for celebration,” he said.
“And when it comes to captaincy, he (Rohit) knows exactly where to use each player – that is the hallmark of a great captain. With the trophy in hand, what more can one say about his captaincy? He has led the team to two ICC trophies,” added the 31-year-old.
The move paid off as Axar took five wickets and scored important 109 runs with the bat at number five.