‘Yeh kya pee rahe ho?’ – Axar Patel recalls hilarious black coffee story from India A days

India’s star all-rounder Axar Patel shared a hilarious throwback from his India A days while speaking during the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. With India already through to the Super 8s after three consecutive wins, the Indian left-arm spinner shared a candid dressing-room story. 

The all-rounder recalled how fellow India A players like Karun Nair and Manish Pandey used to drink black coffee regularly, something he initially could not understand. Back then, Axar preferred tea with sugar, and found black coffee too bitter for his liking. 

“Jab mai India A khelta tha toh Karun Nair, Manish Pandey aur kafi cricketers the jo black coffee peete the. Mai wahi apna chai, usme bhi sugar dalna, aise peeta tha. In logo ko dekhke maine ek baar taste kiya. Maina bola bhai, yeh kya pee rahe ho? Peena bhi hai, isme taste bhi nahi hai, woh bhi bitter, toh ku peena hai? Maine bola mai free mai bhi na peeyu,” said Axar in a video from ICC.

(“When I used to play for India A, there was Karun Nair, Manish Pandey and many other cricketers who used to drink black coffee. I used to have my tea that too with sugar. Looking at these guys, I tasted it once. I said what are you having? You want to drink it but there is no taste, it is bitter. Why do you want to drink this? I said I would not have it even for free.”)

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Funnily enough, things changed during the 2019 IPL season with Delhi Capitals, when Harshal Patel introduced him to the art of making coffee. Axar revealed how the process fascinated him, and now, he himself teaches others about the same.

“First of Delhi Capitals, 2019, Harshal Patel mila aur usne sab sikhaya toh woh mujhe exciting laga, ki kaise banate hai, itna gram coffee dalna hai, aise banana hai. Taste toh waisa hi aa raha tha. But aap jab mehnat karte ho toh aur accha lagta hai na. Abhi change ho gaya hai ki mai logo ko batata hu ki aise coffee peena hai yeh wali peena hai toh mai bech sakta hu,” he concluded.

Axar has been one of the most consistent performers for India in this T20 World Cup 2026, having picked up six wickets in three matches