IPL 2023, Rohit Sharma vs Axar Patel: Decoding the stats
Delhi Capitals will host the five-time champions Mumbai Indians in match number 16 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The clash of the bottom dwellers will see one team secure their first win of the season. There will be many duels in this clash, but how Rohit Sharma plays DC's Axar Patel will be of prime importance.
How have Rohit and Axar fared against each other?
Rohit's record against left-arm spinners in the IPL is nowhere near his best. Hence, he has struggled against Axar in their eight IPL meetings. While Axar has claimed his wicket twice, he has also kept Rohit quiet. He owns a paltry strike rate of 83.67. Rohit has only managed to score 41 runs from 49 balls, which includes only three boundaries.
Second-highest run-scorer against DC
Rohit has been amazing against DC in the IPL over the years. In 32 meetings against the franchise, the veteran has slammed 912 runs at an average of 31.44. He is the second-highest run-scorer against DC, only behind Virat Kohli's tally of 925 runs. Rohit has smoked five fifties with the highest score of 74*. He has smashed 42 maximums and 73 fours.
Rohit strikes at 108.01 against left-arm spinners
Rohit's struggles against left-arm spinners in the IPL are evident. Even his overall stats against spin in this tournament doesn't justify his stature. He has faced left-arm spinners in 100 IPL innings and was dismissed 16 times with a strike rate of only 108.01. Overall against spinners, Rohit bats at a strike rate of 112.02 in 178 IPL innings, which includes 66 dismissals.
Axar has scalped 75 IPL wickets against right-handed batters
Axar has enjoyed bowling to right-handed batters in the IPL. He takes the ball away from them and does not get hit for many runs. Out of his 102 wickets in the tournament, 75 wickets are of right-handed batters from 123 innings. He averages 28.28 against right-handed batters. Even when he is not picking up wickets, he hardly goes for runs.
A look at Rohit and Axar's overall IPL numbers
Rohit has amassed 5,901 IPL runs in 229 appearances at an average of 30.10. He will be the fourth batter to reach the 6,000-run landmark. He has slammed 40 fifties and a solitary ton. Meanwhile, Axar has scalped 102 wickets in 125 IPL matches at 30.97. His best figures of 4/21 came for KXIP against Gujarat Lions in 2016, which also included a hat-trick.
Axar has scalped 68 wickets in the IPL middle overs
Axar's record in the middle overs (7-15) of the IPL is very decent. He has picked up 68 wickets in 122 innings with an economy of 6.99 and an average of 31.55. He is the eighth-highest wicket-taker in this phase of the IPL.
