Axar Patel 'Reluctant' To Captain Delhi Capitals In IPL 2027: Report

Axar Patel looking to step down as Delhi Captials captain© AFP

As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2027 auction approaches, franchises are busy finalising their retentions and releases. Some teams are also engaged in talks with other franchises over potential trades. The Delhi Capitals, who have reportedly been in discussions with multiple franchises regarding trade moves, now face a major headache. According to reports, the franchise's skipper, Axar Patel, is reluctant to continue captaining the side, leaving the management in a state of chaos.

According to a report in The Times of India, the Delhi Capitals management does not want to rule out Axar as captain just yet, though it may take considerable effort for the bosses to convince him to continue leading the side.

Delhi have had rather mixed results under Axar, failing to qualify for the playoffs in the last two seasons. The burden of leadership seems to have affected Axar's performance with the bat and the ball as well. In IPL 2026, he scored just 173 runs and took 11 wickets across 14 matches.

The report further claimed that Delhi were approached by multiple franchises for a trade deal involving Axar, but the management turned down all offers, including several lucrative ones.

"Axar is very reluctant to continue as captain. The management is trying to convince him. Axar is very important to the franchise. The Capitals have turned down multiple lucrative trade offers this season. The management has held off on finalising the captain until the auction is done," TOI quoted a source as saying.

The Delhi Capitals have undergone a major restructuring ahead of next season's auction, which takes place in December this year. While Sourav Ganguly has taken up the role of head coach, the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Chaminda Vaas, and Amit Mishra have joined him as members of the support staff.

Rishabh Pant, the franchise's poster boy for years, has also returned after a couple of unsuccessful seasons with the Lucknow Super Giants. However, a few more high-profile changes are expected to take place before next year's IPL season.

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