“Hardik was really angry” - Axar Patel breaks silence on Muhammad Rizwan's wicket after IND vs PAK 2025 Champions Trophy match

Team India all-rounder Axar Patel has opened up about making the crucial breakthrough to dismiss Muhammad Rizwan in the high-octane Champions Trophy 2025 clash against Pakistan. The left-arm spinner castled the opposition skipper for 46 soon after he was dropped off Hardik Pandya's bowling at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, February 23.

Muhammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel had stabilized the innings after Team India's twin strike that left the Men in Green at 47-2 in the 10th over. The pair carefully dealt with the Indian spinners in the middle overs but were looking to take them on after having set a foundation.

India needed a breakthrough after Pakistan brought up the 150-run mark in their innings. The Men in Blue had a golden opportunity as Rizwan tried to slog Hardik Pandya in the 33rd over, though Harshit Rana could not hold onto the ball in the deep. Axar Patel, however, made amends by dismissing Rizwan in the next over.

The left-arm spinner outfoxed the batter with a slower, flighted delivery. Rizwan stepped down the track and tried to hit across the line, but missed, as the ball hit the stumps.

"Obviously, a plan was in place. Just a ball before, a catch was dropped off Hardik's bowling. And when I saw him, Hardik was really angry. When I came onto bowl, I didn't think that he would charge at me the very first ball, so I bowled it real slow. He must have thought that on that pitch I will hit the length instead of flighting it up, but I bowled it slow because they were looking to rotate the strike. So, I think I am very lucky that I was involved in both breakthroughs," Axar Patel said (via ICC's official Instagram account).

Axar Patel was responsible for another breakthrough India made earlier in the innings. It was his sharp direct hit that sent Imam-ul-Haq back to the pavilion upon his return to the side.

"He was trying hard in practice to find rhythm like before" - Axar Patel on Kuldeep Yadav

One of the several positives for Team India in their win over Pakistan was Kuldeep Yadav's bowling. The left-arm wrist spinner has struggled for rhythm ever since returning from injury, beginning with a hot-and-cold display in the England series. In the first Champions Trophy game against Bangladesh, he finished wicket-less as India failed to pick a wicket in the middle overs.

In the clash against Pakistan, he looked in a better shape as he spun a web over the batters with his flight, pace fluctuations, and variations. He dismissed Salman Ali Agha, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Afridi in his final spell in the third powerplay.

"When you return from an injury, it takes some time to get back to full tilt. You find the rhythm only after playing matches. I think he was out for close to 3-4 months, then he played a couple of matches. He was trying hard in practice to find rhythm like before," Axar Patel said in the same interview.

"Today you could see that he was not at his best until the 40th over. But all teammates went up and spoke to him, and kept backing him by telling him that you will do it for us. Then you saw how he bowled after the 40th over. He got his rhythm back, he was bowling it slower in the air, was also bowling his natural variations, and looked confident too," he added.

Kuldeep Yadav recorded figures of 3-40 off his nine overs as Pakistan were bowled out for 241 after opting to bat first. India won by six wickets.