Axar Patel Becomes First Indian Spinner to Reach 100 T20I Wickets

Historic Achievement for Axar Patel

During the second T20I match between India and England in Manchester on July 4, Axar Patel marked a significant milestone by claiming his 100th T20I wicket, making him the first Indian spinner to achieve this feat. He was just one wicket away from the milestone and made history by dismissing Harry Brook, who scored 39 runs off 15 balls. Axar surpassed Yuzvendra Chahal, who has taken 96 wickets and has not participated in a T20I since 2023, effectively ending his international career.

Leading the list of Indian bowlers with 100 wickets is Arshdeep Singh, who has taken 133 wickets since his debut in 2022. Jasprit Bumrah follows closely with 121 wickets and is set to return to T20I action during the 2026 Asian Games. Hardik Pandya, with 115 wickets, is currently sidelined due to injury and was not included in the Asian Games squad.

Overview of Axar Patel's Career

Axar Patel received his first call-up to the Indian team for the Bangladesh series following the IPL 2014 season. He made his T20I debut after the IPL in 2015 and was part of the team that won the T20 World Cup in 2024, where he scored 47 runs off 31 balls in the final. He also contributed to the 2026 T20 World Cup-winning squad and briefly served in India's leadership group in 2025. Although he was appointed vice-captain for the 2026 T20 World Cup, he was later removed from this role and now plays primarily as a specialist all-rounder. Once a regular in all formats, Axar is currently not part of the Test team but has made a comeback in ODIs and is included in the squad for the ongoing series against England. He was also part of the 2015 World Cup team but did not play in the subsequent two editions.