'Take A Bow, Bapu': Axar Patel's Semi-final Heroics Against England Trigger Meme-fest

Team India booked their berth in the final of the ICC T20 World Cup on the back of an enthralling show by the bowlers. All-rounder Axar Patel stepped up with a game-changing performance as the Men in Blue registered a 68-run win over England in the semi-final on Thursday. Considering the slow nature of the Guyana surface, India played three spinners. The decision proved crucial when the English batting lineup surrendered early to Axar and Kuldeep Yadav, who fetched three wickets each on the big day.

Axar, who drew the first blood for India by dismissing Jos Buttler, was named the Player of the Match for his dominant bowling in the powerplay.

After England were bundled out for 103 runs, Indian cricket fans showered immense praise on Patel via social media posts. They referred to Mahatma Gandhi, who dedicated his life to making India free from British rule. With Axar also having a nickname “Bapu” like Gandhiji, fans feel the cricketer also deserves much praise for destroying the English side with his bowling prowess in the T20 World Cup semi-final.

“A man will die but not his ideas. Bapu owning English People remains constant,” a fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter) while sharing pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and Axar Patel.

A user dished out a hilarious meme reference to highlight Axar Patel’s brilliant performance across all departments in the knockout game against England. Apart from taking a three-wicket haul, Axar contributed with an important 10-run cameo with the bat. He was also involved in the run-out of Jonny Bairstow.

Another fan replaced the photo of Mahatma Gandhi with that of Axar Patel in a hundred rupee note.

“Who is Axar Patel? To the blind, he is the light. To the hungry, he is bread. To the sick, he is the cure. To the lonely, he is company. To the sad, he is joy. To the prisoner, he is freedom. For the poor, he is a treasure. For me, he is everything,” an excited fan posted after Axar Patel helped India reach another ICC final.

“Axar Patel, take a bow. We love you, Bapu,” a person wrote, sharing a picture of the Indian all-rounder with his Player of the Match award.

Here are some other reactions:

While Axar Patel ripped through the English top order, it was Kuldeep, who appeared on a wicket-taking spree in the middle overs. After India set a target of 172 runs on the tricky wicket, only three opposition batters could record a double-digit score. Jasprit Bumrah also picked two wickets as England folded their innings in 16.4 overs. India will face South Africa in the summit showdown on June 29 in Barbados.

Keywords: Axar Patel, India vs England, T20 World Cup 2024, Semi-final, Guyana, Axar Patel memes, Fans reactions, Axar Patel Bapu, Mahatma Gandhi, India vs South Africa final