“Axar Patel Going Up The Order..”- Sanjay Manjrekar Says India Learned From 2023 World Cup Mistake In Champions Trophy 2025

Sanjay Manjrekar, a former batsman for India, is adamant about using a left-right combination in the middle. He supported Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma's plan to start Axar Patel at number five instead of KL Rahul.

KL Rahul has moved to No. 6 as a result of India's decision to use a right-left combination in the middle throughout the previous few ODIs, starting with the series against England.

Axar Patel's stocks have risen with the bat

Axar Patel was ranked No. 5 in the Champions Trophy match versus Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium. He scored eight runs, but he was unable to get going.

In the end, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill took India over the line with six wickets in hand and 21 balls to spare. Rahul remained unbeaten on 41.

Axar comes in only to make sure there's a left-hand right-hand combination: Sanjay Manjrekar

Axar Patel received accolades from Sanjay Manjrekar for providing much-needed unity to the Indian middle-order. He added that KL Rahul should be prepared to bat at any position ahead of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy match against Pakistan because batting in the middle order has its own set of difficulties.

"KL Rahul got some time in the last game, which is good, but I guess Axar comes in only to make sure there's a left-hand right-hand combination, and if there's a left-hand spinner bowling or a leg spinner who's major main delivery is the leg spinner then makes sense for a left-hander to come in and Axar Patel has been brilliant," said Sanjay Manjrekar to Hindustan Times.

"Actually, one of the things that I was worried about was the batting lineup with all those right-handers. I thought India would have the same problem they had in the 2023 World Cup, where the first left-hander was Jadeja. But Axar Patel going up the order, it's a damn good sort of idea that they have got working. And KL Rahul, hopefully, when he gets more time in, but that will be his job. If you're batting at number five, in limited over cricket, or five or six, something that comes with that position," he added.

Axar Patel contributed with the ball, taking 2 wickets and narrowly missing a hat-trick as India captain Rohit Sharma dropped the catch on the hat-trick ball.

Amazing to see that Rishabh Pant is on the bench: Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar added that seeing a talent like Rishabh Pant warming the bench was amazing. As the starting wicketkeeper, KL Rahul has been playing before Pant.

Whether Pant is given a chance is still up in the air. It is doubtful, though, after KL Rahul scored an important 41 runs in India's Champions Trophy opening match against Bangladesh in Dubai.

"It's amazing that somebody like Rishabh Pant is on the bench; it shows the kind of quality India has," said Sanjay Manjrekar.

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