Team India’s experienced all-rounder Axar Patel has been named the Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
The 31-year-old who had a memorable Champions Trophy 2025 campaign displaced his teammate KL Rahul, who recently joined the DC squad this season and was expected to be the frontrunner to take the captaincy role.
Axar’s Stint with Delhi Capitals
Since 2019, Axar has been DC’s most important retention. As the longest-serving player of the team, the all-rounder played six seasons for Delhi, and in 82 matches he scored 967 runs and bagged 62 wickets, boasting an impressive economy rate above 7. Ahead of the mega auction in the previous year November, Patel was retained for INR 16.50 crore.
KL Rahul’s Reaction on Axar Patel Becoming the Next DC Captain
Shortly after the announcement, KL Rahul took to his Instagram account to congratulate Axar on becoming the Delhi Capitals skipper:
“Well done! Congrats! Baapu I convey my best wishes to you in this journey and am always ready to support you,” the wicketkeeper-batter commented on Delhi Capitals’ Instagram post.
Rahul, who had previously led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the past three seasons, was speculated to be the next captain as the Capitals acquired him for INR 14 crore in the auction.
Axar Patel Captaincy Experience
Although Axar Patel doesn’t have considerable experience in IPL captaincy, he led the state team Gujarat in 23 matches across the formats of domestic cricket. His recent appearance as a captain includes the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) and Vijay Hazare Trophy in the 2024-25 season.
From 2018 to 2024, Axar’s led Gujarat team won 10 out of 16 matches. Also, he led DC in its penultimate group stage match in the previous season, when the team’s regular skipper Rishabh Pant served a ban for slow overrate. However, in a must-win game, the Capitals under Axar’s leadership lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by 47 runs and missed out on the opportunity to secure a spot in the playoffs.
As a T20 captain, the seasoned all-rounder’s statistical performance is impressive in terms of batting and bowling (out of 17 matches played):
- Runs: 364 Runs in 14 Innings
- Batting Average: 36.40
- Highest Score: 57 runs out of 39 balls (including 5 fours and 3 sixes) vs RCB in IPL 2024
- Batting Strike Rate: 144.44
- Wickets: 13
- Bowling Average: 29.07
- Best Bowling Figures: 2/13 in 4 overs vs Baroda in SMAT 2021
Moreover, Axar served as India’s T20I vice-captain in the recently concluded 5-match T20I series against England, earlier this year’s January. Also, he played a vital role in India’s CT 2025 triumph, scoring 109 runs in 5 innings at an average of 27.25 and claimed 5 wickets.
Axar Patel’s Response after becoming the Captain of DC
Speaking in a media release, Axar shared his joyful moments to lead DC in the forthcoming IPL season:
“Yes! It is truly a pleasure to become the captain of Delhi Capitals. I’m thankful to our team owners and support staff for showing faith in me. During my tenure with the Capitals, I’ve refined myself as a cricketer and human being.
I feel confident to guide the team and 100% prepared to move forward. Our coaches and the recruits have done a fabulous job by building a well-balanced and strong squad at the mega auction, that has remarkable growth potential.
We have several strong leaders in the team which helps me in this journey, and I’m eager to join the team as we are looking forward to experiencing a most memorable and successful season,” the new DC captain said.
Is Axar Patel a better choice than KL Rahul as DC Captain?
Even though Rahul is a better choice as a captain, it would have created an unwanted rift within the players in the squad, so it was a good decision by the management to appoint Axar for the leadership role. Also, the left-hander was a standout performer for the Capitals in the past few seasons and made noteworthy contributions as a batter and orthodox spinner.
Moreover, captaincy affected KL’s batting style, forcing him to follow a slow approach. Perhaps, he would have declined the captaincy offer to focus on his batting skills.
Fans wish to enjoy watching Rahul bat aggressively like he used to perform in the 2018-19 season for Kings XI Punjab (currently known as Punjab Kings), where he scored 51 runs out of 16 balls (including 6 fours and 4 sixes) against Delhi Daredevils (later changed to Delhi Capitals). Also, he recorded the second-fastest fifty in IPL history, achieving the feat in just 14 balls.
Also Read: IPL 2025 Tickets for Wankhede Stadium: Prices, Booking & Schedule
Final Opinion
Overall, it is understood that KL Rahul’s performance decreases due to excessive workload, as he is a wicketkeeper and needs to make judgments behind the stumps most of the time. So, the 32-year-old as a senior player need not be a captain to make on-field decisions, and it’s time for him to get rid of the pressure and play his natural game as one of the world’s best batters right now.
In conclusion, it is a new era for Delhi Capitals under Axar Patel’s captaincy to lift the IPL 2025 trophy. And, it is a valuable opportunity for the enthusiastic all-rounder to enhance his leadership skills in the 20-over format.
