KL Rahul Backed To Captain Delhi Capitals As Axar Patel "Doesn't Want To"

Axar Patel likely to step down as Delhi Capitals captain© AFP

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has raised some big questions about the Delhi Capitals ahead of the new IPL season. From deciding on a leader to fixing their fast-bowling attack, Chopra believes the team still has plenty of puzzles to solve. The biggest mystery right now is who will lead the side. With Rishabh Pant back in the squad alongside KL Rahul, Delhi has strong leadership options, especially since Axar Patel reportedly does not want the job. While Pant might not be willing to take up the leadership role, having only returned from an unsuccessful stint at Lucknow Super Giants, Rahul has emerged as the No. 1 candidate.

Explaining the uncertainty, Chopra said JioStar's Game Plan, "There are multiple questions, actually. It's an MCQ because who will be the captain? Rishabh Pant has been a captaincy candidate, KL Rahul is an option, and I'm hearing that Axar doesn't want to be the captain. So, with everything going on, you don't even know who will captain the side. It could well be KL Rahul at this stage."

Delhi also made a massive move by trading star spinner Kuldeep Yadav to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in exchange for Pant. Chopra believes that if Delhi brought Pant back, they need to bat him high up the order, though he still feels LSG got the better end of the deal by landing Kuldeep for their home pitch.

"And Rishabh Pant, now that you have traded him, must bat in the top four. If you are going to bat him lower than that, then you will not utilise him to his fullest potential. I felt that in that trade, LSG was better off because you couldn't have asked for more than a bowler of Kuldeep's calibre for that pitch," he said.

While Chopra is pleased with Delhi's middle-order power, featuring Ashutosh Sharma, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, and David Miller, he is very worried about their fast bowlers and whether overseas stars like Mitchell Starc will even turn up for the season.

"Ashutosh, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, plus Axar Patel, and then you've got Miller. So, it's a very decent setup. The problem area for them will be their bowling department. Because Mitchell Starc, will he play? It will be a conversation as to whether he will be available to play or not. They will face an issue with their fast bowling this season and how they plan to address it, I've got no idea," said the former KKR opening batter.

He also pointed out the contrast between Delhi's expensive pacers and their budget picks. While the franchise spent big money on players whose form or availability is in doubt, they did manage to grab a few smart bargains.

"Mukesh is at eight crore, Auqib Nabi at Rs 8.4 crore, and then you have Mitchell Starc at nearly 12, so that's a lot of money. Lungi Ngidi was cheap, picked up for Rs 2 crore. He turned out to be a fantastic bargain. Dushmantha Chameera and Kyle Jamieson weren't as expensive either. But the more expensive players might not be available. Their pedigree and current form are still uncertain, and Mukesh Kumar's T20 numbers have actually plummeted a little," he concluded.

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