Delhi Capitals (DC) are in search of a new leader for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 after parting ways with star keeper-batter Rishabh Pant before the IPL 2025 mega auction.
While the franchise hoped to reacquire Rishabh Pant, a record-breaking Rs 27 crore bid from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) - the most expensive in Indian Premier League (IPL) history - secured the wicketkeeper-batter for their squad. With Pant out of their plans, Delhi must now choose a fresh captain to guide them into the new IPL 2025 season.
In Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, Delhi Capitals strengthened their squad by acquiring KL Rahul and Faf du Plessis, two seasoned campaigners with extensive IPL captaincy experience.
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Rahul has led Lucknow Super Giants in recent seasons, while Faf captained Royal Challengers Bangalore. Despite their proven leadership credentials, Delhi Capitals may be leaning toward a different direction for captaincy.
Among Delhi's retained players, Axar Patel is emerging as the top candidate for captaincy in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Retained for Rs 16.50 crore, Axar has previously led the Capitals in Pant's absence.
A report from ANI suggests that Delhi Capitals (DC) may favor Axar over KL Rahul, stating, "Axar Patel is the leading contender to become the new captain of Delhi Capitals. The team is not currently inclined to hand the reins to KL Rahul."
Axar Patel's ability to lead has been acknowledged at the international level. The spin bowling all-rounder was recently named vice-captain for India's upcoming five-match T20I series against England, starting January 22. This has fueled speculation that Axar is front-runner to take on the role of Delhi Capitals captain in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
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