Axar Patel Became New Captain of Delhi Capitals

Recently, T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy-winning all-rounder Axar Patel was appointed as the new captain of the Delhi Capitals for IPL 2025. Despite having experienced leaders like KL Rahul and Faf du Plessis in the squad, the Delhi management placed their trust in Axar, who has been a consistent performer with both bat and ball for India and Delhi over the past few years. This decision came after the franchise failed to retain their former captain, Rishabh Pant, during the mega auction in November last year.

The 31-year-old spin-bowling all-rounder will collaborate with Delhi’s revamped coaching staff, which includes Hemang Badani as head coach, Venugopal Rao as director of cricket, and Matthew Mott as assistant coach, to end the team’s 17-year trophy drought. Although Axar’s captaincy experience is limited, he has led his home state Gujarat in 23 matches across formats, including the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Earlier this year, he was also named vice-captain of the Indian T20 side.

Axar has been with the Delhi Capitals since 2019, contributing significantly with both bat and ball. Over the last three years, he has taken 28 wickets and maintained a strike rate of 135+ with the bat. In the recently concluded Champions Trophy, Axar played a crucial role, scoring vital runs at No. 5 and claiming five wickets at an impressive economy rate of 4.35.

While Axar is relatively new to captaincy, his impactful performances and leadership potential make him a promising choice to guide Delhi Capitals. If all goes well, he might lead the franchise to their maiden IPL title.

In addition to Delhi, four other teams have new captains for the upcoming season: Ajinkya Rahane will lead KKR, Shreyas Iyer will captain PBKS, Rishabh Pant will head LSG, and Rajat Patidar will spearhead RCB.