Axar Patel or Akshar Patel? Here's why Indian all-rounder uses two different variants of his name

Axar Patel has made the ball talk in the ongoing 1st Test against New Zealand at the Green Park in Kanpur. The left-arm spinner bowled brilliantly in New Zealand’s first innings and claimed a five-wicket haul. Notably, this was Axar’s five-fer in his first two Tests. Hence, the all-rounder wouldn’t have asked for a better start to his Test career. Meanwhile, besides his deliveries, there’s also some mystery behind his name.

As per the official records, the all-rounder’s name is spelled as ‘Axar.’ However, his name in social media handles like Twitter and Instagram is ‘Akshar.’ Owing to the same, several fans are confused about which version of the all-rounder’s name is appropriate. In fact, during the initial days of his career, he was referred to as Axar on some official scorecards and as Akshar on others.

However, he has been using the ‘Axar’ in all his official documents. He sports the same name in his jersey. However, his social media continues to spell his name ‘Akshar.’ So what exactly his real name is? Is it Axar or Akshar?

Axar Patel in official records, Akshar on social media handles

In a interaction earlier this year, Akshar’s parents had revealed the story behind Akshar and Axar dilemma. “He was born in Anand (a town famous for milk products) and the nurse issued the hospital certificate for birth registration spelling it as ‘Axar’. That’s how it stuck to him,” the cricketer’s mother told The Hindu.

Number 5 🖐🏻

Thanks everyone for the messages. This one's for my hero.
Happy Birthday Dad ♥️ pic.twitter.com/xzlemXFXKH

— Akshar Patel (@akshar2026) November 27, 2021

For the unversed, Axar burst onto the scenes in the 2014 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) where he was instrumental in taking Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) to the final. He made his Team India debut the very same year and was expected to go a long way. However, the all-rounder could never cement his place in the national team.

However, the home Test series against England proved to be the turning point of Axar’s career. Standing in his debut series, Axar took 27 wickets in three games as India clinched the series 3-1. Continuing his stellar form in the longest format, the spinner took yet another five-fer against New Zealand. Now, it would be interesting to see how far the all-rounder goes.