‘1 din khilate hain, 3 din andar daalte hain’: Axar Patel lets out his frustration on COVID restrictions

Delhi locked horns with Punjab in the 32^nd match of the Indian T20 League 2022. Delhi outplayed their opposition in all aspects of the gams by a long way and won the match pretty convincingly. Delhi bundled out Punjab for just 115 runs and then chased down the target in just 10.3 overs losing just a single wicket.

Notably, the match was shifted from its original venue of MCA Stadium in Pune to the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The decision was taken by BCCI amidst reported COVID positive cases within the Delhi squad. The players in the tournament are staying in a bio-bubble due to the COVID restrictions and this has been affecting the players mentally.

Axar Patel was an integral part of Delhi’s bowling efforts in the match against Punjab. He bowled four overs and took 2 wickets in them conceding just 10 runs and was impeccable with his line and length. The all-rounder was caught venting out his frustrations on the bio-bubble restrictions while being unaware that he was on air.

Before the post-match press conference started Patel was not aware that he is live and ended up saying – “Kaha maza aa raha hain, 1 din khilate hain, 3 din andar daalte hai.” When he realized that he has been caught on the live telecast, it was already too late. The player was visibly upset about having to follow the strict protocols as a consequence of the outbreak in the Delhi camp. A few of Delhi’s overseas players like Mitchell Marsh and Tim Seifert and a few of the support staff of the team have tested positive for COVID-19.

Speaking of Patel’s performance in the Indian T20 League 2022, he has scored 78 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 185.71. While with the ball in hand he has picked up three wickets in six matches giving away runs at 7.57 runs per over rate.