Axar Patel reluctant to continue as Delhi Capitals captain for IPL 2027
Star all-rounder Axar Patel is reported to be reluctant to continue as Delhi Capitals captain for the Indian Premier League 2027, according to a Times of India report published on 2026-11-12; Delhi’s management wants him to remain in the role but is finding it difficult to persuade him.
Delhi appointed Patel as full-time captain in 2025 following Rishabh Pant’s departure; under his leadership the Capitals finished fifth in 2025 and sixth in 2026. Across 27 matches as captain, the team won 12 games, yielding a win percentage of 44.44.
A Delhi Capitals source told TOI: "Axar is very reluctant to continue as captain. The management is trying to convince him. Axar is very important to the franchise. Capitals have turned down multiple lucrative trade offers this season. The management has held back from finalising the captain till the auctions are done."
The report states the captaincy has affected Patel’s own performances: last season he scored 173 runs and took 11 wickets across 14 matches.
The franchise recently re-acquired their former skipper, Rishabh Pant, in a trade from Lucknow Super Giants; Pant captained Delhi between 2021 and 2024 and under his leadership the team finished third in the 2021 edition. The squad also includes KL Rahul, who previously captained the Punjab Kings in 2020 and 2021 and Lucknow Super Giants from 2022 to 2024.
Reports indicate neither wicketkeeper has shown immediate willingness to assume the role; "Pant doesn’t want to think too much about captaincy. Even Rahul hasn’t expressed any real interest yet. But the management will have to talk to them if Axar stays firm on his decision," the source stated.
Earlier rumours suggested the franchise might trade Axar, but the new Delhi Capitals management under Sourav Ganguly is reported to be content to retain the all-rounder for the upcoming season; the management has delayed finalising the captaincy until after the auctions and will need to decide whether to accept Patel’s stance or approach alternative candidates.
