India brushed aside Pakistan by 61 runs in a high-stakes ICC T20 World Cup 2026 clash to seal qualification for the Super 8. Axar Patel underlined the reasons behind India’s dominant performance, emphasising clarity of roles, emotional control, and smart use of conditions as the cornerstones of the win.
Speaking after the match, Axar said the team deliberately shut out external narratives around India’s batting versus Pakistan’s bowling and instead focused on execution.
“We are focusing on our strength and it’s outside talk — India’s batting versus Pakistan’s bowling or whatever. We are not thinking about that. We are just thinking about our plan and our execution,” he said.
Blocking out rivalry noise
Despite India’s recent dominance in the fixture, Axar insisted the team does not frame the contest through the prism of rivalry.
“We are seeing them as a team. We are not thinking about rivalry. We are playing against one team and focusing on cricket,” he said.
At the same time, he acknowledged that matches against Pakistan carry added emotion.
“Yes, there is pressure. People around you, family and friends talk about it. It is a little more pressure than a normal match. But as professional cricketers, we focus on controlling our emotions.”
Calm until the final wicket
Axar revealed that the dressing room conversation centred on staying composed deep into the second innings.
“Till the 14th over we were discussing that we will stay normal, calm and composed. When the last wicket fell then we believed that we won,” he said.
The message from captain Suryakumar Yadav and senior players was consistent: stick to plans, trust strengths and avoid reacting to the occasion.
Ishan’s knock a turning point
A defining moment came from Ishan Kishan, whose high-tempo innings on a surface offering turn stood out. Pakistan bowled 18 overs of spin, and the ball gripped and skidded under lights, yet Ishan struck at nearly 190.
“The way he batted, I think one of the great knocks, because it was not so easy. The ball was spinning, some were going straight under light,” Axar said.
He credited Ishan’s recent domestic form and confidence, noting that the batter used the field cleverly rather than targeting one area.
“He played shots all over — over cover, slip. He used the field well. Credit goes to him.”
Spin plans and reading the surface
Axar’s own spell reflected careful reading of the pitch. He explained that the new ball in the second innings skidded more, while some deliveries turned sharply.
“The plan is what the batsman wants to do and which area he wants to target. After that I change my line and length,” he said.
On dismissing key batters such as Babar Azam and Usman Khan, Axar pointed to subtle adjustments — maintaining length when batters advanced and varying pace based on how the surface behaved.
When Usman attempted to attack straight, Axar resisted the urge to overcompensate.
“I was thinking I won’t push him out too much, but I’ll bring my line back. That is the general plan,” he said.
Flexible roles and team balance
Axar also spoke about his evolving role. Having floated in the batting order in previous tournaments, he now operates lower down as an attacking option.
“As an all-rounder, you can bowl anytime, bat anytime, field. If the team needs me in a situation, it means they are showing confidence,” he said, adding that T20 cricket demands flexibility.
On team combination, Axar said selection was driven by pitch conditions rather than opponent.
“We feel selection should be according to the pitch. In such a big tournament, you should not make too many changes. When you get help from the pitch, you go for it.”
Support that feels like home
India once again enjoyed overwhelming crowd support.
“Even in Australia, England or West Indies, most Indian supporters come in blue jerseys. We never think about which country we are playing in. We think about the wicket and play according to that,” Axar said.
