The world might be talking about Jasprit Bumrah and Sanju Samson following India's T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final win against England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, but one cannot forget about the contribution of Axar Patel. The all-rounder from Gujarat single-handedly kept India in the game through his acrobatic fielding display, taking two of the most jaw-dropping catches in the same game, which would impress even the great Jonty Rhodes. Axar came up with brilliance when India bowlers were being hammered left, right and centre and his exceptional display cut short Harry Brook and Will Jacks' innings.
The first piece of Axar brilliance was seen on the opening delivery of the fifth over, bowled by Jasprit Bumrah. His diving catch cut short England captain Brook's knock, and he had to walk back after scoring seven runs. Brook backed away, and he was quite early on his shot. Axar ran back, keeping his eyes firmly on the ball and then dived forward to pluck the ball out of thin air. He stayed down for a while after taking the catch and was engulfed by the rest of his teammates.
Also Read: Sanju Samson or Jasprit Bumrah: Who was the true Player of the Match, the difference between elimination and title shot?
The second game-changing moment saw Axar and Shivam Dube combining forces in the deep to end Will Jacks' innings. Jacks and Jacob Bethell were threatening to take the game away from India as they were keeping up with the required run rate to chase down the target of 254.
{{/usCountry}}The second game-changing moment saw Axar and Shivam Dube combining forces in the deep to end Will Jacks' innings. Jacks and Jacob Bethell were threatening to take the game away from India as they were keeping up with the required run rate to chase down the target of 254.
{{/usCountry}}On the final delivery of the 14th over, bowled by Arshdeep Singh, Axar showed what sort of a gun fielder he truly is, ending Jacks' knock of 35 runs. The spin-bowling all-rounder's effort even led to the head coach Gautam Gambhir jumping from his seat in the dugout and giving a standing ovation.
Axar plucked the ball on the run, and what made the catch all the more special was the fact that he lost balance, but not at any moment did he lose awareness of the boundary cushions being close by. Axar tossed the ball up towards a converging Dube, and the latter completed the catch, giving India the much-needed fifth wicket.
Which catch did Axar like more?
After the narrow seven-run win over England in the semi-finals, Axar interacted with the reporters in the mixed zone, and it was then that he was asked to pick one catch between Brook and Jacks that he enjoyed more.
Giving his answer, the 32-year-old said, “When I took the first catch of Harry Brook, it was a very good catch for me; it was tough. But if you look at the situation and the way the England batsmen were batting, the catch of Will Jacks was very important to break the partnership at that time.”
"If you ask me, fielding-wise, Harry Brook's catch was tougher. And yeah, luckily today, I thought the ball was chasing me (laughs)," added Axar when asked to pick between the two on-field moments of brilliance.
Apart from his two brilliant catches, Axar also took the wicket of Tom Banton, returning with figures of 1/35 in 3 overs against England. With the bat, he faced just two balls, remaining unbeaten on 2.
India will now face New Zealand in the T20 World Cup 2026 final on Sunday, March 8, at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Earlier, Axar was dropped for the two games at this venue in the World Cup, missing the encounters against the Netherlands and South Africa.
However, he is now certain to play the final against the Kiwis. “I think, after two years, I will be playing on home ground, and that too, an ICC World Cup final, and yes, my son will also watch my first match live, and that is something that I am very proud of,” said Axar.