Delhi Capitals reportedly had two choices for captain -- Axar Patel and KL Rahul.
The captaincy lineup for IPL 2025 is now complete, with Delhi Capitals becoming the 10th team to announce their captain. DC, who needed to replace Rishabh Pant, appointed Axar Patel as their new skipper for the season. KL Rahul was also considered for the role, but reports say he turned down the offer. With Rahul refusing, DC had no choice but to appoint Axar Patel as Pant's replacement.
Last season, Axar Patel, who has now won two ICC titles with India, scored 235 runs with an average of nearly 30 and took 11 wickets with an economy rate of 7.65.
Axar Patel said, “It’s an honor to captain Delhi Capitals. I’ve grown as a cricketer and I feel ready and confident to lead the team.”
Delhi Capitals Co-owner Parth Jindal said, “I’ve seen Axar grow as a cricketer and leader at Delhi Capitals."
Parth Jindal, who picked Axar Patel for the team in 2019, shared that his relationship with Axar goes beyond just cricket. He said that as Vice Captain for the past two years, Axar is loved by everyone in the team and is sure to motivate the players. He praised Axar for growing from a strong bowler to a complete all-rounder, showing his skills in India's T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy wins. Parth wished him good luck as he starts this new chapter as captain and believes with players like KL Rahul, Faf du Plessis, and Mitchell Starc in the leadership group, something special is starting for Delhi Capitals.
Axar Patel, on becoming captain, said, “It’s an honor to captain Delhi Capitals, and I’m very grateful to our owners and support staff for trusting me.”
Axar Patel said, "I’ve grown as a cricketer and as a person during my time with the Capitals. I feel ready and confident to lead the team. Our coaches and scouts did a great job in the auction, putting together a strong and balanced squad with a lot of potential. We have many leaders in the team, which helps me a lot. I’m excited to join the team and look forward to a successful season, with the support of our fans."
Axar has been with Delhi Capitals since 2019 and was kept for Rs 18 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. In his 150 IPL matches, Axar has scored 1653 runs at a strike rate of 130.88 and taken 123 wickets with his left-arm spin at an economy rate of 7.28.
Rahul was also considered for the captaincy after being bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 14 crore at the mega auction last year. He had previously led Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for two seasons each in the IPL, taking LSG to the playoffs in 2022 and 2023.
However, according to sources, Rahul will now play for DC but without the captaincy. Delhi Capitals' first match of IPL 2025 will be against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam on March 24. The team will have a short three-day training camp in New Delhi this week before heading to Visakhapatnam on March 17.
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