Delhi Capitals have officially announced that star all-rounder and one of the key players from India's Champions Trophy triumph Axar Patel will be their new captain for the upcoming edition of the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Since joining the Capitals in 2019, Axar has played in 82 games. He replaces Rishabh Pant, who moved to the Lucknow Super Giants during the mega auction.
Axar Patel on the appointment
"It is my absolute honour to captain the Delhi Capitals, and I'm deeply grateful to our owners and support staff for placing their faith in me. I've grown as a cricketer and a human being during my time here at the Capitals, and I feel ready and confident to lead this side going forward," said Axar Patel on his new role
"Our coaches and scouts have done a superb job at the mega auction by putting together a balanced and robust squad which has tremendous potential. We have plenty of leaders in the group which is also very helpful for me, and I can't wait to join the team as we look forward to a very successful season for the Capitals, backed by the immense love and support of our fans," he added.
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Axar Patel, a veteran of 150 IPL games, has amassed 1653 runs and also taken 123 wickets, including a spectacular hat-trick in 2016 when he took four wickets in five balls for the Punjab team. The 31-year-old has established himself as a dependable all-round specialist since joining the Capitals in 2019. The Delhi Capitals will play their first IPL 2025 match against Lucknow in Visakhapatnam on March 24, 2025.
Axar's captaincy experience
In January of this year, he was selected India's T20I vice-captain, despite having no experience as a skipper. In 23 games across all formats, Axar has captained his state side Gujarat, most recently in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2024–2025. Last year, when Rishabh Pant was serving a ban for a slow over-rate offence, he captained DC in one IPL match, a must-win match that they lost to RCB to miss out on the playoffs.
Senior players KL Rahul and Faf du Plessis, who have both managed former IPL teams in the past, are part of the team. Axar contributed significantly to India's successful Champions Trophy campaign going into this IPL season. Axar, who batted at No. 5 in the competition, made significant contributions and claimed five wickets at an economy rate of 4.35.
Together with Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, DC is one of just three of the IPL's original eight teams that have never taken home a championship. With seven wins and seven losses apiece, they finished sixth in the previous season. Axar will collaborate with a new team management at DC this year, which includes assistant coach Matthew Mott, director of cricket Venugopal Rao, and head coach Hemang Badani.
All five teams that required a new captain following the mega auction have named their leaders, with DC announcing Axar. Rajat Patidar will lead RCB, Ajinkya Rahane will lead Kolkata Knight Riders, Rishabh Pant will lead Lucknow Super Giants, and Shreyas Iyer will lead Punjab Kings.