On Friday, March 14, at 9:30 AM, the Delhi Capitals (DC) officially announced the star India National Cricket Team all-rounder Axar Patel as their new captain ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

The battle for the captaincy of Delhi Capitals (DC) was between Axar Patel and KL Rahul and in the end, it was the star all-rounder who was chosen as the new skipper of the franchise.

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Axar Patel named new Delhi Capitals captain

Axar Patel will be replacing Rishabh Pant as the skipper of DC after the wicketkeeper-batsman was released by the franchise and the owners were unable to reacquire him at the auction.

The all-rounder was the top retention of Delhi Capitals ahead of the IPL 2025 auction as he was retained for a whopping Rs 16.5 crore along with Kuldeep Yadav (Rs. 13.25 crore), Tristan Stubbs (Rs. 10 crore) and Abishek Porel – (Rs. 4 crore). He was also the deputy of Rishabh Pant in IPL 2024 and led the team in one match as well.

Talking about KL Rahul, he was bought by the Delhi Capitals for a whopping Rs 14 crore after his departure from the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), where he served as the skipper and had decent success.

It is my absolute honour to captain the Delhi Capitals – Axar Patel

Axar Patel, who has been with DC since 2019, said that he is honoured to get the opportunity to lead the franchise and expressed his excitement for the upcoming season.

“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,” said Axar Patel, on being appointed as the captain.

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

We are delighted to appoint Axar as the Delhi Capitals captain – Kiran Kumar Grandhi

Talking about Axar’s appointment as skipper, Delhi Capitals Chairman Kiran Kumar Grandhi said that the all-rounder has been part of the franchise for a long time and was confident of the team doing well under his leadership.

“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,” he said.

“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,” he added.

Also, the DC co-owner Parth Jindal was thrilled to see Axar Patel at the helm and said that is a much-loved character in the dressing room.

“I have witnessed Axar’s progression as a cricketer and a leader first-hand at the Delhi Capitals,” said Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal.

“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.