Bumrah, Axar, Hardik – Gujaratis who helped India create history:Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak also hails from the state

India… India… India… The chants echoed across Ahmedabad as India defeated New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final to win the title for the second consecutive time. With this victory, Team India became champions for the third time overall and set several new records. Many players played crucial roles in this remarkable win. Sanju Samson was named Player of the Match in the final. Varun Chakravarthy finished as India’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament, while Shivam Dubey delivered consistent performances throughout. Amid the celebrations, head coach Gautam Gambhir has also been widely praised. However, one particular group stands out in India’s triumph, four individuals with roots in Gujarat who made a major contribution to the team’s success. These include Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya and Team India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. Jasprit Bumrah: The ‘Sachin Tendulkar’ of India’s bowling attack Imagine a bowler conceding runs at an economy rate of just 3.8 in a match where the opposition posted 255 runs. That is exactly what Jasprit Bumrah achieved. The backbone of India’s bowling attack turned the final against New Zealand on its head by taking four wickets for just 15 runs. Bumrah also played a decisive role in the semi-final against England. Chasing a daunting target of 254 runs, England had raced to 185 for 5 in 15 overs. Sam Curran was on 5 while Jacob Bethell had reached 81, and the momentum clearly appeared to be in England’s favour. At that stage, captain Suryakumar Yadav handed the ball to Bumrah. The pacer conceded only 8 runs in that over, applying crucial pressure. Arshdeep Singh then conceded 16 runs in the next over, leaving England needing 45 runs from 18 balls. Bumrah once again delivered under pressure, conceding only 6 runs in the following over and pulling India back into the contest. This created the opportunity for Hardik Pandya in the 19th over. Pandya dismissed Sam Curran for 18 runs, caught by Tilak Verma, and from that moment the match swung decisively in India’s favour. Bumrah also starred earlier in the tournament against Pakistan in Colombo on 14 February. Defending a target of 176, he dismissed Sam Ayub (6) and captain Salman Ali Agha (4) in the same over. Pakistan never recovered and lost the match by 61 runs, helping India qualify for the Super 8 stage. So far in the tournament, Bumrah has taken 10 wickets in seven matches. Hardik Pandya’s all-round impact Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya delivered a superb all-round performance throughout the tournament. In nine matches, he scored 217 runs, including one half-century, at an impressive strike rate of 160.74. Alongside his batting contributions, Pandya also picked up nine wickets. In the semi-final against England, Pandya played a crucial role with both bat and ball. He scored a quickfire 27 runs from just 12 deliveries at a strike rate of 225, helping India push their total beyond 250. While bowling, Pandya struck on the very first ball of his spell by dismissing Phil Salt. Later, in the crucial 19th over, he conceded only 9 runs, pushing England firmly onto the back foot. Pandya also produced a memorable innings during India’s Super 8 clash against Zimbabwe in Chennai — a must-win match for India. In that game, he smashed an unbeaten 50 from just 23 balls at a strike rate of 217.3, hitting four sixes and two fours. For that performance, he was named Player of the Match. Axar Patel: Bowling and fielding that changed matches Axar Patel played a key role in India’s T20 World Cup victory in 2024 and repeated that impact again in this edition. Although he did not contribute significantly with the bat this time, his bowling and exceptional fielding proved vital. Axar picked up 11 wickets during the tournament. He took two wickets each against Pakistan, Namibia and the USA. He also claimed a wicket in the semi-final against England and delivered a crucial spell in the final. In the title match, Axar removed dangerous Kiwi batter Finn Allen and eventually finished with three wickets, dealing a major blow to New Zealand’s batting line-up. His fielding also proved decisive in the semi-final. He produced a spectacular catch to dismiss England captain Harry Brook, sprinting 24 metres in the opposite direction before diving to complete the catch. Another moment of brilliance came when Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell were building a partnership. Axar ran towards the boundary, leapt to catch the ball, and while losing balance, tossed it back into the air. Shivam Dubey, positioned inside the boundary, completed the catch. This extraordinary effort helped India secure their place in the final. Early life and cricket journey Axar Patel was born in Nadiad, about 60 kilometres from Ahmedabad, in a modest bungalow named ‘Rajkiran’. He was academically bright as a child, and his parents initially wanted him to become an engineer. At the age of 12, he faced a choice between academics and sports and opted for cricket. Sanjaybhai Patel, who served as Secretary and Joint Secretary of the Kheda District Cricket Association from 1996 to 2015, recognised his potential and convinced his father to support his cricketing ambitions. Sanjaybhai began coaching Axar when he was 14. Initially, Axar bowled left-arm fast at the junior level. He would sometimes bowl left-arm spin playfully after matches were won. However, his accuracy soon brought success and wickets. Axar was later named ‘Man of the Series’ in an inter-district tournament, where he also won the awards for Best Batsman and Best Left-Arm Fast Bowler. Eventually, he switched to left-arm spin. At the age of 17–18, Axar attended a 21-day training camp at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, the first cricketer from his state to do so. He made his Ranji Trophy debut for Gujarat in 2012 and quickly impressed with his spin bowling. Axar made his ODI debut for India in June 2014 in Dhaka and his T20 debut in July 2015. He also became the sixth Indian spinner to take five or more wickets in his debut Test match. Sitanshu Kotak: The batting coach behind the scenes Another key figure in India’s success is Rajkot-born Sitanshu Kotak, the current batting coach of the Indian team. Kotak worked extensively on improving the batting unit after India’s disappointing performances against Australia last year. Under his guidance, India went on to win the Champions Trophy, the Asia Cup and several bilateral series. Throughout the tournament, India had different match-winners. On some days, Shivam Dubey dominated with the bat, on others Hardik Pandya delivered crucial performances. In the final, Sanju Samson played the decisive role. Kotak played an important role in working with these players and strengthening their technique. Just as players deserve credit for the trophy, coaches are equally responsible for the team’s success. Experience with the National Team Kotak has worked with numerous Indian cricketers as the head batting coach at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Technically strong and highly respected, he has coached both India A and the national team. Whenever Rahul Dravid or VVS Laxman were unavailable, Kotak stepped in to handle coaching responsibilities. He also travelled with the Indian team to Ireland in 2024 when Jasprit Bumrah returned to international cricket after a 10-month injury break. Domestic Cricket career Sitanshu Hargovindbhai Kotak was born on 19 October 1972 in Rajkot. A left-handed batsman, he was a prolific run-scorer for Saurashtra in domestic cricket. During his playing career, he scored 8,061 runs in 130 first-class matches at an average of 41.76, including 15 centuries and 55 half-centuries. In 89 List A matches, he scored more than 3,000 runs. Alongside his batting contributions, Kotak also proved useful with the ball, claiming 70 wickets in first-class cricket. Coaching journey After retiring from domestic cricket in 2013, Kotak entered coaching. He completed Level 1 and Level 2 coaching certifications from both the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). In October 2014, he became the coach of the Saurashtra team. Under his leadership, Saurashtra achieved major success, including winning the Ranji Trophy in 2020. Kotak was appointed head coach of the India A team in August 2019 following Rahul Dravid’s tenure. He has also worked as an assistant coach for the IPL franchise Gujarat Lions and served as a batting coach at the National Cricket Academy. He has been associated with the NCA since 2019 and has led India A on tours to Bangladesh, South Africa and Australia. Kotak also served as assistant coach of Gujarat Lions in 2017 and travelled with the senior Indian team during the Ireland tour in 2023 when Rahul Dravid was unavailable. Role with Team India The BCCI later appointed Kotak as India’s batting coach for the England series in 2025 and the Champions Trophy 2025 as part of the support staff led by head coach Gautam Gambhir. His role involves improving players’ technical skills and strengthening their mindset after the poor performances by Indian batters against New Zealand and Australia. Kotak has also worked on Sanju Samson’s technique and continues to play a key role in managing Rinku Singh. A strong Gujarati presence in the tournament Interestingly, the final was played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, a venue named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, ICC Chairman Jay Shah, who previously served as BCCI Secretary, is also from Gujarat. Considering the contributions of players, coaches and administrators, Gujarat’s presence was strongly felt throughout the tournament.