 "KL Rahul declines Delhi Capitals captaincy; Axar Patel likely skipper for IPL 2025: Report")
Axar Patel has emerged as the favourite to become the new Delhi Capitals (DC) captain for the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after KL Rahul turned down the opportunity.
DC spent Rs 14 crore to acquire the services of KL Rahul at the IPL 2025 Auction after he spent three seasons as captain at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Rahul was released ahead of the auction after a season where he was seen having an argument with franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka after a game.
KL Rahul doesn’t want to captain Delhi Capitals
Now, Rahul has reportedly decided not to take DC’s captaincy role and wants to contribute as a player.
“Yes, Axar Patel is likely to be named as Delhi Capitals skipper for IPL 2025. The franchise had asked for KL Rahul to be the team’s captain, but he very much wishes to contribute for the side as a player in the upcoming tournament,” a source told IANS on Tuesday.
Axar Patel is also a good option for DC, having recently helped India win the Champions Trophy 2025. The 31-year-old all-rounder was retained by Delhi for a massive Rs 18 crore.
Axar Patel set to captain Delhi Capitals
In IPL 2024, Axar scored 235 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 131.28 and also took 11 wickets. Overall, he has been with the franchises since 2019.
In 150 IPL games, Axar has amassed 1653 runs at a strike rate of 130.88 while also picking 123 wickets at an economy rate of 7.28.
Meanwhile, it has also been reported that KL Rahul is expecting his first child with wife Athiya Shetty in March 2025. He could miss one or two matches for Delhi at the start of IPL 2025.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsDC’s IPL 2025 opener will be played against LSG at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam on 24 March. The IPL 2025 starts with a match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on 22 March.
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