Axar Patel reluctant to lead, Delhi Capitals in a fix ahead of IPL auction

Delhi Capitals' captain Axar Patel during the toss before the start of an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 cricket match between Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals, in Lucknow. (PTI File Photo)

NEW DELHI: As the IPL franchises begin planning for next month's mini auction, Delhi Capitals are in a fix over identifying their captain for the next season. TOI has learnt that incumbent captain Axar Patel has expressed his reluctance to lead the team after going through two tough seasons.Sources said that the franchise doesn't want to rule out Axar as captain, but it may take a lot of effort to convince him to continue with the job. Capitals failed to qualify for the playoffs in the last two seasons. While they came close in 2025, the last season wasn't a pleasant one as they finished sixth. Axar suffered a dip in form last year, scoring just 173 runs and taking 11 wickets in 14 matches.

"Axar is very reluctant to continue as captain. The management is trying to convince him.

Axar is very important to the franchise. Capitals have turned down multiple lucrative trade offers this season. The management has held back finalising the captain till the auctions are done," a source told TOI.Capitals have carried out an overhaul of the coaching staff by bringing Sourav Ganguly back in the fold as the head coach and Yuvraj Singh as the assistant coach after the franchise parted ways with previous head coach Hemang Badani and director of cricket Venugopal Rao. There are suggestions that the team's leadership group struggled to be on the same page as Badani and Rao which has led to Axar's indecision.