Ricky Ponting credits Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya for India’s Champions Trophy triumph | Cricket News

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has lauded India’s all-rounders trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Hardik Patel for their “outstanding” performance throughout the 2025 Champions Trophy, which was eventually won the Rohit Sharma-led team.
“Their all-rounders right through the tournament were outstanding,” Ponting said on the latest edition of The ICC Review.
“(Ravindra) Jadeja, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, were all outstanding. I said at the start of the tournament I thought India would be really hard to beat because of their overall balance and because of that mix of youth and experience, and once again, in a final, the captain stands up and gets the job done for his team.”
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India’s Ravindra Jadeja hits the winning run against New Zealand in the final of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai. (Photo: AP)
Ponting explained that how having three all-rounders in the playing XI has helped India an incredible batting depth.
“They were a very well balanced side anyway, but because they had so many all-rounders…when you’ve got Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, who they used up the order on a number of occasions for that left-handed option, and with Jadeja there as well, they were a very well balanced team.
“The only thing you would probably say, they probably looked a little bit light on fast bowling, but as it turned out, they didn’t need that.
India’s Hardik Pandya plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between India and New Zealand at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo)
“That’s where Hardik Pandya’s role becomes really important to be able to bowl with a new ball and get through some overs early to make it a little bit easier for the spinners in the backend of their Powerplay and also through the middle overs where they predominantly bowl and spin pretty much right through the middle of the game.”Story continues below this ad
Ponting showered praise on Axar Patel, with whom he has worked in Delhi Capitals and has played a massive turnaround in his batting.
In the past few years, Patel has worked on his hitting game, especially at Delhi Capitals, under the watchful eyes of head coach Ricky Ponting. A realignment of his front foot while lofting down the ground, holding his hitting shape and developing scoring areas square of the wicket – have all contributed in expanding his stroke options.
India’s Axar Patel plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between India and New Zealand, in Dubai, UAE. (AP)
“Axar Patel is the other one that I think needs a lot of credit for this tournament. I think his bowling was as consent and rock solid as you’d ever see,” Ponting added.
“Then, just some of those little cameos he played with the bat, coming in earlier and sort of steadying the ship and just making life a little bit easier for the lower order in KL Rahul, Pandya, and Jadeja…I think he deserves a lot of credit for his tournament.”