Axar Patel Named Delhi Capitals Captain for IPL 2025- IPL

Axar Patel has been appointed as the captain of Delhi Capitals (DC) for the 2025 IPL season. The 31-year-old all-rounder has been a key player for DC since joining the team in 2019. He was retained by the franchise for a massive ₹16.50 crore before the mega auction last November. Though Axar doesn’t have much captaincy experience in the IPL, he was named India’s T20I vice-captain earlier this year in January, showing trust in his leadership abilities.

Axar has captained home team Gujarat in 23 matches in different formats, including the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy during the 2024–25 season. He also captained DC in one match last season when Rishabh Pant was suspended for a slow over-rate. DC lost that game to RCB.

“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,” Axar said in a DC statement.

“Our coaches and scouts have done a superb job at the mega auction by putting together a balanced and robust squad that 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.

The squad includes experienced players like KL Rahul and Faf du Plessis, who have both captained other IPL teams before, along with senior international player Mitchell Starc.

“We are delighted to appoint Axar as the Delhi Capitals captain. He has been an integral part of the Capitals family since 2019 and embodies the values that this team is built on. This decision reflects the natural progression for him as a leader – from being our vice-captain for two seasons to now leading the team, he has always stepped up to the occasion for us. Axar has the full support of our coaching staff and the experienced leadership group, and I wish him the very best for this new role which I am confident he will excel in,” DC chairman Kiran Kumar Grandhi said.

DC co-owner Parth Jindal said, “I have witnessed Axar’s progression as a cricketer and a leader first-hand at the Delhi Capitals,” said. “Having personally picked Axar in 2019, my relationship with him is one that goes beyond cricket. Having seen him as the vice-captain of the team over the last two years, it is safe to say that he is a much-loved character in the dressing room and is someone who I am sure will motivate the players in the squad.

“From being an economical spinner who had an immediate impact when he came onto bowl, Axar has blossomed into a brilliant, mature cricketer whose all-round prowess was on full display in India’s T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy winning campaigns recently. I wish him good luck as he starts a new innings in his cricketing journey. With seniors like KL Rahul, Faf du Plessis, and Mitchell Starc being part of our leadership group, I believe this is the start of something special for the Delhi Capitals,” he said.

With Pant leaving the franchise before the auction, Axar became the most experienced player in the squad. He has played 82 matches for DC over six seasons, scoring 235 runs at an average close to 30 and taking 11 wickets with an economy rate of 7.65 last year. Axar has also been in fine form for India, playing an important role in their Champions Trophy win. He took five wickets at an excellent economy rate of 4.35 and also made useful contributions with the bat at No. 5.

Delhi Capitals are still hunting for their first IPL title, along with Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. DC finished sixth last season with seven wins and seven losses. This season, Axar will have a new coaching team to work with, led by Hemang Badani (head coach), Venugopal Rao (director of cricket), and Matthew Mott (assistant coach). DC will begin their 2025 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants in Visakhapatnam on March 24.

With Axar’s appointment, all five teams that needed new captains after the mega auction have now settled their leadership. Rajat Patidar will lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Ajinkya Rahane will captain Kolkata Knight Riders, Rishabh Pant will head Lucknow Super Giants, and Shreyas Iyer will be in charge of Punjab Kings.

Delhi Capitals squad for IPL 2025

Axar Patel(C), Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Faf du Plessis, Mukesh Kumar, Darshan Nalkande, Vipraj Nigam, Dushmantha Chameera, Donovan Ferreira, Ajay Mandal, Manvanth Kumar, Tripurana Vijay, Madhav Tiwari, Kuldeep Yadav, KL Rahul, Mitchell Starc, T. Natarajan.

Delhi Capitals’ IPL 2025 schedule

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