Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Axar Patel came up with a unique strategy in the ongoing game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The match between the two teams is taking place at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Delhi Capitals opted to field first after winning the toss, and they came up with a different bowling combination this time around. Skipper Axar Patel took the responsibility himself and bowled the first over. He had a decent start as he gave away just three runs in the opening of the game.
However, after that, Axar Patel made sure that he continued bowling as he bowled four overs on the trot. This might be due to the number of left-handers in the Lucknow Super Giants lineup in Nicholas Pooran, skipper Rishabh Pant, and David Miller.
This was the first time in his IPL career that Axar Patel bowled 3 overs in the powerplay. He also completed his final over by the 7th over, and this was the earliest he completed his quota of 4 overs in his T20 career. Also, for the first time since IPL 2018, and only the fifth time ever, he bowled the first over of the match in the IPL.
Axar Patel opening the bowling in an IPL innings:
1) PBKS vs CSK (2014)
2) PBKS vs RR (2014)
3) PBKS vs RCB (2017)
4) PBKS vs RCB (2018)
5) DC vs LSG (2025)
During the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2017, he removed Shane Watson, and then, in 2018, removed Brendon McCullum.
More to follow…