India vs Australia: Axar Patel and Indian players 'have been told to express themselves and move ahead'

All-rounder Axar Patel is back with Team India after missing the ODI World Cup as Team India prepares to take on Australia in a five-match T20 series which starts in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. The Indian squad has a fairly new look with Suryakumar Yadav as the captain with selectors giving rest to senior players. The T20 series is a perfect opportunity for India to start preparations for the 2024 T20 World Cup which will take place in West Indies and US.

Axar Patel said that the series will give a chance to the fringe players to prove their case before the mega tournament.

“Everyone knows that we suffered a heartbreak in the World Cup final. But it’s time to move on. We have a young team that will play Australia in the T20Is. All of us are keen to prove that we belong here,” the 29-year-old told to JioCinema.

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“There’s a lot of energy in the team. It’s just that we have only 10-11 T20 international matches to go before the T20 World Cup to make an impression. So, all of us have been told to play according to our strengths. There’s no need for us to do something brand new. We have been told to express ourselves and move ahead. We have five matches against Australia and all of us know that they are a good side. We are not going to put ourselves under undue pressure. We will try and enjoy the games we play.”

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Axar Patel was ruled out of the World Cup after suffering a left quadriceps strain during the Asia Cup 2023. On his mindset after returning from injury, he said: “The mindset remains the same as what it was before I had to miss the World Cup due to injury. But I am fit again and am keen on doing well in all departments of the game. I have not made any changes and am focussing on the processes. I don’t want to make much changes to my mindset. I am not looking at this series from the view that I am among the senior players in the team now. I just want to continue doing what I was before the injury.”