India all-rounder Akshar Patel on Friday (December 1) admitted that he was upset after injury ruled him out of the Cricket World Cup at home and it took him about a week to get over the disappointment.
Akshar was picked in India’s World Cup 2023 squad but he sustained a left quadriceps strain during the Asia Cup and failed to recover in time. His injury paved the way for veteran off-spinner R Ashwin’s selection in the World Cup squad.
"Obviously, you are bound to be (disappointed). The World Cup was in India, but that injury happened. For the first few days, I was thinking about it, not being able to play due to injury," Akshar said in the post-match presser after the fourth T20I against Australia in Raipur.
"But, the team was doing well, so after 5-10 days, I was back to training and was doing my rehab. But, yes, when you are out due to injury and those 5-10 days you are not able to do anything, you do feel a bit bad. After that, I returned to routine life.
"I was upset, but it happened due to an injury; it's not in anyone's hands. It's part and parcel of the game," he added.
Akshar Patel has made an impressive return to international cricket in the ongoing T20I series against Australia at home. The left-arm spinner has claimed five wickets in four games so far, including a match-winning three-wicket haul in the penultimate T20I.
"If you are away from international cricket for some time due to injury and then come back, you try to prove yourself and you also have to look after your body, so I also took one match (at a time)," he said.
"When you come from injury you try to keep that part of the body safe. You are not able to give your full effort. It stays in the back of my mind.
"It doesn't happen in that way because the trainer already tells you that nothing will happen but while sprinting, you feel what if something happens again to the quadricep.
"But the first couple of matches, I was back to routine. Now I don't feel anything like that and the work that I put in the last one-and-a-half months, I am reaping the reward now, so I am happy overall."
Having missed the Cricket World Cup, Akshar is keen to feature in the T20 World Cup 2024, slated to take place in the USA and West Indies in June.
"Before the T20 World Cup, I don't think India has a lot of T20 games scheduled, maybe 9-10 matches. So, we have to plan from now and prepare as there is the World Cup in June and then there is IPL in between, so the planning is going on," he said.
"All the players have been told about their respective roles, in what position they will play and once Rahul (Dravid) sir is back, there will be a detailed discussion but we know what we have to do in this series, so there is no confusion."
Akshar Patel was left out of the T20I squad for the upcoming South Africa tour with Ravindra Jadeja replacing him.
Asked if he was motivated due to the snub, Akshar replied, "It is not like that, if I would have gone for runs then you would have said that I was upset. I was normal.
"...there was nothing in my mind that I have to prove myself for that. I have been doing well and this is not my decision and I didn't think much about that. I am just happy I got wickets today."
Akshar dismissed Travis Head, Ben McDermott and Aaron Hardie in the fourth T20I as India restricted Australia to 154/7 after posting 174/9 on the board.
"I didn't change my bowling much. There was dew in the last three matches, so we were bowling back of length but there was no dew today, so we could give the ball flight as the seam was not too wet," he said.
"There was grass on the pitch, so some balls were skidding, so they were facing difficulties. I have also been varying my pace for the last three matches, sometimes going for a few slower ones in between."
(With PTI Inputs)
