Is it Axar Patel or Akshar Patel? The mystery behind the left-arm spinner's name had flummoxed many from the time he hit the limelight. The Gujarat cricketer's current name, Axar, was not the spelling given by his family and now the cricketer himself discloses the mystery behind the change. In a video interaction with his team-mates Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul, posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Twitter, Patel revealed the mystery behind the spelling of his name. The three cricketers were involved in a lively chat on the flight to Bengaluru, where India are scheduled to play their fourth ODI against Australia.
Watch @klrahul11, @hardikpandya7 & @akshar2026 have fun in the flight from Indore to Bengaluru - by @Moulinparikh https://t.co/DVlNtEBESG pic.twitter.com/WxALn9svUW
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 26, 2017
"I was in training camp in Bengaluru for the U-19 World Cup. I had to apply for a passport as I didn't have one," Patel says. "I needed a relieving certificate from my school. My dad went to my school to get my relieving certificate made.
"In the certificate, school principal wrote Axar instead Akshar. All resulting documents -- passport, driver's licence -- had Axar Patel. So, I decided to continue writing Axar not Akshar," the 23-year-old said.
The BCCI selectors on Sunday included Patel in the Indian squad for the last two one-dayers of the ongoing series against Australia, replacing Ravindra Jadeja.
Patel had twisted his ankle before the series-opener in Chennai, therefore, the selectors had included Jadeja in the 15-man squad as a cover.
The 23-year-old Gujarat cricketer has played 34 ODIs, claiming 41 wickets. He has also played 8 T20Is and took 7 wickets at an average of 27.14.
India have already sealed the series with a comfortable five-wicket win over Australia in the third ODI in Indore.
- Patel has played 34 ODIs and 8 T20Is
- BCCI included Patel in the Indian squad for the last 2 ODIs
- Patel had twisted his ankle before the series-opener in Chennai
