Lankans beware, 'Jayasuriya' is here

AHMEDABAD: When Axar Patel started playing gully cricket in his locality in Nana Kumbnath Road in Nadiad, he earned the nick name 'Jayasuriya' because of his capacity to hit sixes and bowl like the former Sri Lankan captain a dashing opener and a wily left-arm spinner. He was not so lean and tall like he is now but Axar Patel's complexion was very similar to the Sri Lankan 'Master Blaster'.
Axar doesn't play like Jayasuriya but has impressed everybody with his batting, bowling and fielding in each and every opportunity that has come his way, whether for his district, state, IPL team or the country. It is still very early days in his career but he has undoubtedly emerged as one of the most promising youngsters in Indian cricket.
Though Axar slept with a bat or a ball by his side as a kid, his father Rajesh Patel never thought that his son would one day play for India. "I keep hearing stories from people about how national chief selector Sandeep Patil had enquired about Akshar, how Mumbai Indians' coaches Anil Kumble and John Wright had called after the IPL auction this year to tell Axar how much they would miss him and about the praise he is getting from the captain, commentators and cricket experts on TV these days. But everything seems like a dream," added the father.
Academics was the first priority for the family ­ till the eighth standard, Axar never came second in his class. So the first time Patel Sr asked Axar to try his hand at any sport was when he took his son to a local gym so that Axar remained fit and busy and did not while away his time away like other youngsters.
"After a few days when Axar decided to join a cricket camp I went and told the coach: 'Don't bother too much about his game, just make him run so much that he returns home tired'. But after six months Axar led his school team to the semifinals of a tourna ment organized by the Kheda District Cricket Association. After that he got selected for the district U-16 team and scored 98 runs and picked three wickets in his debut match against Surat. That was the beginning," said the father who works as a manager in a marriage hall.
The discipline, dedication and focus that have become synonymous with Axar these days were instilled into him by his father during the formative years. "If you are confident, half the battle is won even before it has started. That is one thing I have tried to instill in my kids. So whether it is studies or cricket, Axar is focused and doesn't like anybody fooling around when he is at work. That is perhaps why he has been able to see success in whatever he is doing," added Patel Sr.
Akshar has played just five ODIs till now and has scored 23 runs from three innings with a strike rate of 191.66. He has also picked five wickets with an economy rate of 4.19. In 35 T20s he has scored 236 runs with a strike rate of 144.78 and picked 36 wickets and bowled with an economy rate of 6.13. He has scored 401 runs from eight first class matches with an average of 44.55 with a highest score of 69 not out. He also has 29 first class wickets to show with best bowling figures of 655 in an innings and 775 in a match. He has a highest score of 93 in List A matches and 43 not out in Twenty20 cricket.
Apart from the 29 first class wickets, he has picked 24 wickets from 20 List A matches.And not to forget that he was named the best U-19 cricketer in India by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the 2012-13 season.He is indeed living up to his promise. "He is too mature for his age. I have never seen him under any kind of pressure," said the chief coach of the Gujarat Ranji team Vijay Patel.
The coach added: "When you ask a batsman to get ready to go in next, he will try to concentrate, get his focus right and may even say a prayer. But ask Axar and he will put on his pads, pick up his bat and get ready to go in to bat just like that. He is naturally gifted and very strong mentally."