How Axar Patel’s Poor Captaincy Helped Lucknow Super Giants Post a Total of 209 Runs?

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 has completed its fourth match, with Delhi Capitals (DC) facing Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam. However, the biggest talking point of the game was the captaincy of Axar Patel, who looked completely lost in the first innings as LSG’s batters dominated DC’s bowling attack. At one stage, LSG seemed set to cross 250 runs, but Mitchell Starc’s brilliant yorkers in the death overs helped DC pull things back, restricting Lucknow to 209/6 in 20 overs.

Not Using Mukesh Kumar With the New Ball

Lucknow got off to a flying start with their aggressive opening pair of Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh, who attacked from the very first ball. In the third over, Mitchell Starc was smashed for 21 runs, making it look like DC had lost control of the match. Despite LSG’s onslaught, Axar Patel made a puzzling decision as he introduced himself into the attack during the powerplay, instead of using a specialist pacer. This move backfired, as Axar proved expensive, allowing LSG’s openers to settle and build momentum. 

A more effective strategy would have been to use Mukesh Kumar with the new ball. Mukesh has been a reliable bowler for DC, known for his ability to swing the ball and use clever variations to deceive batters. His presence early on could have helped DC control the power play better. With Axar’s captaincy decisions under scrutiny, fans are already questioning if making him captain was the right move for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025.

Using Tristan Stubbs Against Nicholas Pooran

In the 12th over of the innings, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were in complete control, with Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran hammering the Delhi Capitals (DC) bowlers all over the park. Axar Patel looked clueless about whom to turn to as his bowlers were getting smashed. In a surprising move, he handed the ball to Tristan Stubbs, a part-time bowler. This decision turned out to be a complete disaster, as Nicholas Pooran took full advantage, playing one of the most explosive overs of IPL 2025. The over started harmlessly with a dot ball, but what followed was absolute carnage. 

On the second ball, Pooran launched a massive six over deep square leg, sending a clear message that he was ready to attack. The third ball, another one in the slot, met the same fate, as Pooran smashed another six straight down the ground, bringing up a 24-ball half-century, his tenth in IPL history. Stubbs tried adjusting his length on the next delivery, but Pooran was unstoppable, smashing a third consecutive six over long-on. The fifth ball was full outside off, but Pooran lifted it over extra cover for his fourth consecutive six. To cap off the nightmare over, Stubbs missed his yorker again, and Pooran drilled a four past long-off, taking 28 runs off the over.

Poor Field Placements and Faf du Plessis’ Intervention

For IPL 2025, Delhi Capitals (DC) made two major decisions: appointing Axar Patel as captain and naming Faf du Plessis as vice-captain. While Axar is a reliable all-rounder, Faf brings years of leadership experience from his successful stints with past franchises. However, during their match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Axar’s captaincy flaws were clearly visible, especially in field placements. Throughout the game, Axar struggled to set the right field. His poor positioning gave LSG batters an easy advantage, allowing them to dominate. One of the most critical moments came in the 7th over, when Sameer Rizvi was placed at a backward point. 

A straightforward catch was dropped, giving Nicholas Pooran a lifeline at 17 runs. Pooran went on to score a blazing half-century, which proved costly for Delhi Capitals. What made things even more concerning was Faf du Plessis’s intervention. Noticing Axar’s hesitation, Faf stepped in to adjust field placements himself, often without even consulting the captain. This unusual situation was clearly visible throughout the match. This has now sparked a debate among DC fans, questioning whether Axar lacks confidence as a captain. If things don’t improve, his leadership could turn into a disaster for Delhi Capitals this season.

Not Bringing Kuldeep Yadav Against Mitchell Marsh

For Delhi Capitals, Kuldeep Yadav has been a key wicket-taker against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in recent matches. With 7 wickets at an average of 21.14, he had a strong record against them. This made him the perfect choice to challenge Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran, two of LSG’s most dangerous batters. However, Axar Patel made a huge mistake by not introducing Kuldeep immediately after the power play, allowing LSG to continue their assault. With the powerplay over and runs flowing easily, it was the ideal time for Kuldeep Yadav to come into the attack and break the partnership. However, Axar delayed his entry, giving Marsh and Pooran more time to dominate the DC bowlers. 

By the time Kuldeep was finally brought in, the damage was already done, and both batters had already inflicted serious blows on Delhi’s chances. Despite this poor captaincy decision, Kuldeep still managed to make an impact later in the innings. He provided a massive breakthrough by dismissing Ayush Badoni, and soon after, he removed Rishabh Pant for a duck, bringing some relief to DC. However, the decision to bring Kuldeep in too late remains a huge blunder by Axar Patel, proving costly in a match where Delhi needed better leadership on the field.