Axar Patel Becomes First Indian Spinner to 100 T20I Wickets

Axar Patel etched his name in Indian cricket history on Saturday, July 4, becoming the first Indian spinner to complete 100 wickets in T20 Internationals. The left-arm spinner reached the milestone by dismissing England captain Harry Brook during the second T20I at Old Trafford, Manchester.

The Wicket That Sealed the Record

Brought into the attack in the fifth over, Axar struck immediately by removing the dangerous Brook, who had raced to 39 runs off just 15 deliveries. Attempting an audacious scoop shot, Brook could only manage a faint edge that was safely collected by wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan. The on-field decision was overturned after India opted for a review, with UltraEdge confirming the thin edge. It turned out to be the solitary wicket in his impressive spell of 4-0-20-1.

Tight Lines Restrict England’s Middle Order

Beyond the landmark wicket, Axar continued to trouble the England batting lineup with disciplined bowling. Operating from around the wicket, he consistently denied the batters room to free their arms, forcing Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton into cautious, single-heavy strokeplay. Bethell was beaten outright while attempting a reverse sweep as Axar cleverly varied his pace throughout the innings. Returning for another over later in the innings, he kept up the pressure — Will Jacks managed the only boundary off his bowling with a cut through extra cover, but Axar responded by conceding just singles for the rest of that over.

The achievement adds Axar’s name to an elite list of Indian bowlers to reach three figures in the shortest format, cementing his growing legacy as one of India’s premier white-ball spinners.