India all-rounder Axar Patel recently looked back at one of his most memorable on-field exchanges with Virat Kohli, a moment that continues to do the rounds on social media. The clip dates back to the 2021 pink-ball Test in Ahmedabad, a match that firmly belonged to Axar as he ran through England’s batting line-up on a turning surface.
Axar was virtually unplayable in the pink-ball clash, finishing with six wickets in the first innings before adding five more in the second. His match figures powered India to a dominant victory and earned him the Player of the Match award. After the match, Axar was shooting a post-match video with Hardik Pandya when then-skipper Kohli joined in to praise the spin all-rounder.
“Baapu tari bowling kamal che (Your bowling is great),” Kohli said on camera, a line that quickly went viral. The clip continues to resurface on social media, with fans frequently sharing it as one of those light-hearted, unforgettable moments from Kohli’s time as India captain.
Axar recently revisited the moment and shared the lesser-known backstory behind it, admitting he was slightly nervous when Kohli walked up to the camera. With Kohli often picking up Gujarati phrases from him, Axar wasn’t sure what was coming next, making the exchange all the more amusing when it finally unfolded on screen.
"The story behind this was different. You know what kind of words Delhi people like. He keeps asking me what to say in Gujarati. So suddenly, he came and said 'Baapu Tari...' and then went like 'bowling kamal che'. I told, okay, okay, this is right," Axar said on the 2 Sloggers' YouTube channel.
{{/usCountry}}"The story behind this was different. You know what kind of words Delhi people like. He keeps asking me what to say in Gujarati. So suddenly, he came and said 'Baapu Tari...' and then went like 'bowling kamal che'. I told, okay, okay, this is right," Axar said on the 2 Sloggers' YouTube channel.
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Axar Patel back as vice-captain in T20Is
Meanwhile, Axar was recently reinstated as India's vice-captain in T20Is as he took over the position from Shubman Gill, who failed to make the cut for the T20 World Cup squad.
BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar highlighted Patel’s experience and leadership role in the T20I setup, pointing out that the all-rounder had previously served as vice-captain when Shubman Gill was unavailable due to Test commitments.
"I mean, obviously, Shubman was the vice-captain; he is not in the team, so there will have to be somebody else as vice-captain. And Axar, before that, when Shubman was actually not playing the T20Is and playing Test cricket, when a lot of the T20Is used to clash, Axar was the vice-captain. So, that is about the vice-captain," Agarkar said in the press conference.