Axar Patel reportedly reluctant to lead Delhi Capitals in IPL 2027; three potential successors named
Axar Patel has reportedly indicated he does not wish to captain Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League 2027, according to a Times of India report; the development was reported on 2026-11-12. The club is weighing alternatives and the article identifies three players who could assume the captaincy if Patel steps down.
The report links Patel’s reluctance to continue as skipper to two below-average seasons for Delhi, noting the side failed to qualify for the playoffs in both 2025 and 2026 and finished sixth in 2026. It adds that the franchise, under new head coach Sourav Ganguly, is willing to retain Patel and is attempting to persuade the all-rounder to remain captain. The final decision on the captaincy is expected after the upcoming IPL 2027 mini-auction.
Nitish Rana is listed as one possible replacement; the article states he has captained at the domestic level and led Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2023 IPL. Under Rana’s leadership in 2023, KKR won six of 14 matches, and the piece describes his overall IPL captaincy record as not impressive while suggesting the experience could still work in his favour.
Rishabh Pant is presented as another candidate, with the report reminding readers that Delhi’s last playoff appearance came in 2021 when Pant captained the side in his first season as captain. The article says Delhi then failed to reach the playoffs in the following three seasons under Pant’s leadership, after which he left to join Lucknow Super Giants and led that franchise for two seasons; the report adds that Pant has now returned to Delhi Capitals.
KL Rahul is the third name mentioned; the piece records that he joined Delhi Capitals in 2025 and scored 539 and 593 runs in the subsequent two seasons, respectively, making him the leading run-scorer for Delhi across those editions. The report also notes Rahul’s previous captaincy roles with Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants and that he has led India in some matches.
The article concludes that while the franchise prefers to keep Axar Patel, the captaincy situation will be settled after the IPL 2027 mini-auction, at which point Delhi Capitals are expected to announce their final decision.