IPL 2020 | Heroes like Axar Patel get appreciated inside Delhi Capitals dressing room, reveals R Ashwin

Bowlers in T20 cricket are judged by the number of wickets they take instead of the roles they play for the team. Depending upon the role of the player in the team, the bowler can be used to contain or attack the batsmen and each role has to be performed extremely well for the team to come out on top, similar to the football, where the striker needs other players to perform well for him to score.

However, such bowlers not picking up loads of wickets and contributing to the wins of the team often go underrated. Axar Patel has been that bowler for Delhi Capitals, who has been extremely miser with the ball giving runs at the rate of 4.57 but has picked up just 4 wickets in 4 matches.  

Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that Axar Patel, who was awarded the Man of the Match award in the last game for finishing with figures of 2/18, has been appreciated as one of the heroes of Delhi Capitals in the dressing room despite not being among the highest wicket-takers. He added that players must be appreciated for performing their roles well rather than just the numbers. 

“So sometimes what happens in T20 cricket is we tend to blow up images, stats and numbers of bowlers who get the wickets and purple cap even likewise in the orange cap. Sometimes I feel it is overrated in a game like T20 because it is somewhat like football where people are playing their roles and one such player is Axar. He always goes under the radar because he bowls those good overs - builds the pressure for someone else to capitalize on the wicket,” Ashwin said in the post-match interview. 

“So these are heroes that get really appreciated inside the dressing room for us in Delhi Capitals and Ricky is very particular on that. We stick to the roles and when you get appreciated people wanna hold on to their roles.”