Axar also patted fellow spinner Varun Chakravarthy (5/42) for coming up with a match-winning spell.
With the pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) expected to offer some grip to the spinners, the Indian batters did not want to leave anything to the chance.
Harshit Rana has been part of India's white-ball squads since his impressive 2024 IPL season with the Kolkata-based franchise, where he claimed 19 wickets at an average of 20.15 over 13 matches.
Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar has spearheaded the establishment of a temporary training facility in bustling Mumbai.
With recent matches indicating that chasing teams have fared slightly better, the toss-winning captain may opt to bowl first.
After their unexpected victory against Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders's Venkatesh Iyer and Varun Chakravarthy called on Rajinikanth at his home in Chennai.
Harry Brook said that England's batters will look to apply constant pressure on India's bowlers during the second T20I in Chennai on Saturday.
Indian captain Virat Kohli arrived two hours early for practice ahead of the crucial Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan, focusing on his struggles against spin bowling.
Sanju Samson will look to continue his domination of the bowlers but India need more stability in the top order
Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah returned to India's T20 squad for next month's Asia Cup, but IPL star performers Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal missed out.
With the Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh just around the corner, India's star batsman KL Rahul focused on power-hitting during a training session in Dubai.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav was very pleased with his men for "walking the talk" in terms of executing whatever was decided at the team meeting, following an emphatic seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the opening T20I in Gwalior on Sunday.
Sunrisers Hyderabad ended their disappointing IPL season with power-packed batting effort, etching a crushing 110-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders.
Lucknow Super Giants spin bowling all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed has expressed confidence in captain Rishabh Pant despite his poor form in IPL 2025, saying the "chilled and relaxed" skipper will come good in crunch moments.
Varun Chakravarthy's superb bowling at the death and Andre Russell's fine all-round showing saw Kolkata Knight Riders stage a spectacular comeback to defeat a shell-shocked Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins said his hard hitting batters might need to alter their approach after three consecutive defeats.
'Obviously we're going to get on the plane this morning and we'll take our learnings from this game but also understand the conditions when we go to Pakistan.'
RCB will have to tweak their team composition to suit the demands of the Chepauk pitch in their second IPL match against CSK, said Shane Watson.
Despite outstanding performances in the IPL and on the international stage, several big names failed to make the cut.
How well will Shubman Gill fit in the T20 team? Is it a gamble by the selectors in order to unite captaincy across formats? asks Harish Kotian.
It is also learnt that the physios at the BCCI Centre of Excellence has not set a specific time frame for him to return to action, even though Bumrah has been steadily increasing his workload at nets and match simulations.
Taking a strong exception to pubic criticism of their curator by Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has red flagged the two cricket experts.
Kuldeep and Noor have been in good form for their respective teams and a lot will hinge on them when Delhi Capitals take on Chennai Super Kings in an away game in Chennai on Saturday.
Washington Sundar enhanced his reputation as a T20 hitter with India batting in top gear through the innings to comfortably chase down a target of 187 for a series levelling five-wicket win over Australia.
IMAGES from the IPL match played between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday
'That is something I really wanted, to have six bowling options and then batting till No. 8 as well.'
India's Champions Trophy squad has raised eyebrows with a number of bold selections, including a spin-heavy attack and the exclusion of experienced pacer Mohammed Siraj.
He finished with 4-0-34-3, a testament to his ability to exploit early wickets and dismantle batting line-ups with his raw pace. This performance served as a stark reminder of why he was the most sought-after bowler at the IPL auction.
Tilak Varma smashed an unbeaten half-century to steer India to a thrilling two-wicket victory against England in Chennai on Saturday.
Just like their previous clash earlier this month, Royal Challengers Bangalore once again collapsed against Kolkata Knight Riders's spinners to suffer their second defeat of the season against the Knights.
Narine stars as KKR keep playoff hopes alive with 14-run win over DC
While a few catches were put down by both teams, there were some that stuck.
Rinku Singh attempted the falling reverse lap scoop and reverse pull by using the pace off Ravi Bishnoi's googlies, similar to Rishabh Pant's audacious stroke-making.
The first T20I between India and England at Eden Gardens was a significant event for multiple reasons.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2025 after Game 39.
Cheteshwar Pujara elieves that a shift in playing philosophy is the need of the hour for CSK even if it means scoring at a quicker clip.
For DC, the onus will be on Prithvi Shaw and veteran Australian David Warner to provide a solid start.
Following their 21-run loss at the hands of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore stand-in skipper Virat Kohli said they deserved to lose the match.
Chennai Super Kings are officially out of the play-off race in Indian Premier League 2025, but their spirit remained intact as they secured their third victory of the season, beating Kolkata Knight Riders by two wickets at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday.
The 2025 Champions Trophy promises to be a battleground for the world's top cricketers, with several players ready to leave their mark on the tournament.
