Image: КL Rahul rejected to captain Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025 / © One Cricket
Ahead of the IPL 2025 season, Delhi Capitals (DC) are set to appoint Axar Patel as their new captain after KL Rahul rejected the leadership role. Axar, retained for ₹16.50 crore, impressed with his all-round performances in India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 victory. Meanwhile, KL Rahul, bought for ₹14 crore, chose to focus on his game rather than take on the captaincy. Axar has prior captaincy experience, having led Gujarat in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and briefly captained DC in IPL 2024 when Rishabh Pant was suspended.
His IPL stats include 1,653 runs at a 130.88 strike rate and 123 wickets at a 7.28 economy rate. Rahul, an experienced IPL captain, previously led Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), winning 31 out of 64 matches. However, with LSG finishing seventh in 2024, he opted against captaincy this season. DC, still seeking their first IPL title, will now rely on Axar’s leadership for the upcoming campaign.