'When MS Dhoni was mentor...': Axar Patel reveals what helped him become first-choice batter in T20 team

India all-rounder Axar Patel has opened up about the key moments that helped him become a first-choice batter in India’s T20 team, revealing how advice from MS Dhoni played a big role in changing his mindset.

In an interview with The Times of India, Axar said the 2024 T20 World Cup final was a turning point in his career. He explained that after that match, he was no longer seen as just a backup option for Ravindra Jadeja.

He said that a separate role was created for him in the team, and both he and Jadeja started playing together regularly, starting from the World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean, where he played a key role in the team’s success.

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Axar added that after his crucial knock of 47 off 31 balls at No. 5 in the final against South Africa, he gained full confidence that his place in the team was secure.

Absolutely. Since then or just before the T20 World Cup, I have never been seen as a replacement for Jaddu bhai. A spot was created for me. Jaddu bhai and I started playing together. I was never competing with Jaddu bhai. When I used to practice, I used to think what else I could add to my game so that they could never drop me. After the T20 WC final, I never thought I would be dropped again," Axar said.

Jadeja has since retired from the shortest format, along with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Axar, on the other hand, has seen a promotion in his batting role under the coaching of Gautam Gambhir and the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav. He is often promoted up the order whenever the situation requires it.

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Axar credits MS Dhoni for his batting transformation 

The left-hander also spoke about his early struggles with the bat. Axar revealed that he started his career as a batter but later became a full-time spinner after reaching the National Cricket Academy (NCA). He said that poor performances in his early days made him doubt himself and being dropped in 2018 became a wake-up call.

Axar credited former India captain MS Dhoni for helping him regain confidence. He recalled a conversation during the 2021 T20 World Cup, where Dhoni was the team mentor and he was a reserve player along with Shreyas Iyer and Deepak Chahar.

Axar said that Dhoni told him he put too much pressure on himself earlier in his career by thinking he had to perform in every match. Dhoni advised him to simply trust his ability as a batter, something Axar slowly started to implement in his game.

I started as a batter but became a full-time spinner when I reached the NCA. In my early days I didn’t do well with the bat and started doubting myself. When I got dropped in 2018, I worked very hard on my batting. When MS Dhoni was mentor of the 2021 T20 World Cup team, he told me that in my earlier days, under his captaincy, I put pressure on myself by thinking I had to perform all the time, rather than simply believing that I was a capable batter. Slowly I started implementing what Mahi bhai had told me and I regained my confidence,” he added.

Axar on his current batting role in the team

The 2021 T20 World Cup turned out to be a disappointing tournament for India, as they failed to reach the knockout stage after losses to Pakistan and New Zealand.

Axar also spoke about his current role in the batting order. He said that when he is sent up the order, it shows the team’s trust in his ability. He stressed that he does not see himself as a floater and that the team management treats him like a specialist batter with a clear role.

If I’ve been sent up the order, that means the team trusts me and I have the talent to perform this role. When I go out to bat, I don’t think I am a floater. The team management tells me that I’m not sent to blindly accelerate the scoring or play out a difficult spell or target a particular spinner. I am given a role like any other specialist batter,” he said.

Recently, Axar Patel was appointed vice-captain of India’s T20 team for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka in February. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the defending champions at home, while Shubman Gill, who was vice-captain during the 2025 Asia Cup, missed out on selection due to team combinations.