Aakash Chopra Backs Axar Patel to Lead Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025

New Delhi: Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has named three potential candidates for the Delhi Capitals’ captaincy role ahead of IPL 2025: Axar Patel, KL Rahul, and Faf du Plessis. Chopra believes Axar Patel could be the frontrunner for the role, given his growing stature in Indian cricket.

Delhi Capitals had retained Axar for Rs 16.50 crore ahead of the mega auction last year, a clear indication of their faith in his abilities. They later secured KL Rahul for Rs 14 crore and Faf du Plessis for Rs 2 crore at the Jeddah auction.

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Axar Patel: The Strong Contender

Axar Patel had an impressive IPL 2024 season, picking up 11 wickets at an economy rate of 7.65 and contributing 235 runs at a strike rate of 131.28 in 12 innings. Chopra feels Axar’s stature has grown significantly and he has emerged as a strong contender for the captaincy role.

“I feel Delhi have three options. They have Axar Patel, KL Rahul, and Faf du Plessis as well. They retained Axar Patel, and his stature is growing. He has been outstanding of late. He is the Indian T20I team’s vice-captain and will play in the Champions Trophy. He has an important role in the Indian ODI team. He is mature, brilliant, and understands the pulse of the game,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel. “He puts the team ahead of himself, so he could be a great choice.”

KL Rahul: Leadership Experience

Chopra also highlighted KL Rahul’s leadership credentials, pointing to his previous experience as a captain in the IPL. “The second option is KL Rahul. I feel they got him cheap. It was a steal. He has captained India, Punjab Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants for three years and helped them qualify for two of those seasons. So he could be the captain,” Chopra added.

Faf du Plessis: A Left-Field Option

While Chopra sees Axar as the likely pick, he also mentioned that Faf du Plessis could be a potential candidate. However, he believed the role would likely go to Axar. “It’s going to be a close race. One has been retained, and the other has been bought. If they want to think outside the box, Faf du Plessis could be considered. But I have a feeling it could be Axar,” he said.

Rajat Patidar Surprises as RCB’s New Captain

In another major development, Chopra expressed his surprise at Rajat Patidar’s appointment as Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) new captain for IPL 2025. “Rajat Patidar is RCB’s new leader. We thought it would be Kohli, but it’s not. Rajat Patidar is the eighth captain. Before him, they had Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Kevin Pietersen, Daniel Vettori, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, and Virat Kohli,” Chopra noted.

RCB: A Competitive Franchise Despite No Trophy

Chopra emphasized that despite RCB’s lack of an IPL title, they remain a competitive side. “Great players have captained this franchise. We measure a franchise’s success by the number of trophies they have lifted. They haven’t won even one, but it is not an unsuccessful franchise. It’s a decently successful franchise without a trophy,” he remarked.