Axar Patel on verge of historic T20I milestone — India star set to become first spinner with 100 wickets

When Axar Patel made his T20 debut against Zimbabwe in 2015, the last thing anyone expected was for this slight, left-arm spinner to be on the verge of making Indian cricketing history. He was a bit player for most of his early career, pottering around while other spinners got the job done. Not this time.

On Saturday, when India plays England in the second T20I at Old Trafford, Axar needs only one victim to join an elite group of bowlers who have taken 100 or more T20I wickets for India.
The first spinner to achieve the remarkable feat is likely to be Axar, who has often been a “utility” player, given fewer opportunities than his more high-profile colleagues.

Yuzvendra Chahal, India’s most successful spinner in T20Is, is on 96 wickets, currently the runner-up to the illustrious list. However, he remains the second-highest T20I wicket-taker, with the left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav close behind on 95. Meanwhile, the impressive Varun Chakravarthy is right there on his heels, with 73 to his name.

However, all three are set to be overtaken by Axar, the so-called “utility” player who will be looking to write his name in the record books this weekend.

Most T20I Wickets by Indian Spinners
1. Axar Patel: 99 wickets (97 matches)
2. Yuzvendra Chahal: 96 wickets (80 matches)
3. Kuldeep Yadav: 95 wickets (54 matches)
4. Varun Chakravarthy: 73 wickets (46 matches)

If he manages to get the job done in Manchester, Axar will join the most exclusive club of Indian pace bowlers who have registered over a century of wickets in T20Is, with Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya.

Evolution Of India’s Dynamic All-Rounder: Axar Patel

Axar’s 99 wickets in the format are the result of a determined journey. His game in the shortest format had been a curious mix of cameos before 2021, but he has since evolved into a mainstay for India in T20Is. Axar has been a pivotal part of India’s 2024 and 2026 World Cup campaigns, becoming a dynamic all-rounder who can turn games with the bat at crucial moments, chip in with handy lower-order runs, and hold the fort in the field. Not surprisingly, with a T20I bowling average of 21.60 and economy of 7.40 per over, Axar has had success on home soil. However, the conditions in England will provide a fitting test for the 32-year-old all-rounder.

Although 55 of Axar’s 99 wickets have come on India’s spin-friendly surfaces, he has faced the unique challenge of playing just two T20I matches in England. In fact, his 100th T20I wicket will also be his first on foreign soil. As India looks to get back to winning ways in the T20 World Cup, they would be hoping that Axar continues his rich vein of form.

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However, they may not be relying on the same kind of magic that saw the leg-spinner account for 147 scalps in 48 innings, with bowlers like Rashid Khan and Shane Warne. Axar Patel, on the other hand, bowls with a calmness and a mixture of subtle variations that could see him etched into the record books at Old Trafford this weekend.