KL Rahul overlooked for Delhi Capitals' captaincy? Karthik unveils DC's new skipper for IPL 2025

Axar Patel, the talented all-rounder from Team India, is set to lead Delhi Capitals in the upcoming 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). The developments were seemingly revealed by former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman, Dinesh Karthik, during Cricbuzz's HeyCB with DK show on YouTube. The official announcement from the franchise is yet to arrive. It will be exciting to see how the young captain leads one of the most promising teams of the tournament.

Axar, who has been with DC since 2019, was retained for a whopping INR 18 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.

The 30-year-old had a brief taste of captaincy in IPL 2024 when he stepped in for Rishabh Pant during one game. His elevation as DC’s full-time captain, although, comes as a surprise, with the Capitals buying KL Rahul during the auction. Rahul has led Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, and thus comes with a considerable experience of leading the sides.

Axar was, however, named vice-captain of the Indian T20I team for the first time last week, when the BCCI announced squad for the five-match series against England.

“For Axar Patel, all the very best (for India vice-captaincy). A good opportunity for him. He is going to be the Delhi Capitals’ captain as well. So here is a good opportunity for him to lead and show the way. He has been doing that for Gujarat as well. So, wish him all the luck," Karthik said on the show.

Rahul to play as specialist batter

Axar’s appointment as captain means KL Rahul, a seasoned IPL leader, will play as a specialist batter for the first time since the 2020 season. The 32-year-old Bengaluru cricketer, signed by DC for INR 14 crore, brings a wealth of experience; he captained PBKS in 2020 and 2021, and LSG from 2022 to 2024.

Rahul’s batting position will be a key talking point for DC. While he has excelled as an opener for both PBKS and LSG, he has also shown his adaptability in the middle order for the Indian team, where he bats at No. 5 in ODIs. Whether he continues at the top or adjusts to a new role could be pivotal to DC’s campaign.

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