Axar Patel reluctant to continue as Delhi Capitals captain for IPL 2027: Report

Axar Patel is reportedly reluctant to continue as Delhi Capitals captain for IPL 2027 after two disappointing seasons with the franchise. According to a report in Times of India, the team management is trying to convince him to continue in the role. With the IPL 2027 mini-auction approaching, Delhi Capitals have also decided to wait until the auction is completed before finalising their captain for the next season.

Axar was appointed Delhi Capitals captain ahead of IPL 2025 and led the team in the 2025 and 2026 editions. However, the franchise failed to reach the playoffs in both seasons under his leadership. The two-time T20 World Cup winner is an important player for Delhi, but his reluctance has created a new DC captaincy dilemma ahead of the IPL 2027 auction.

The Delhi Capitals management is not ready to rule out Axar as captain and is hoping to convince him to continue. A team source also revealed that the franchise had rejected several big trade offers for the all-rounder ahead of the IPL 2027 season. Axar's future role with the franchise will now be one of the key things to watch before the mini-auction.

Axar Patel and the Delhi Capitals captaincy: What does the report say?

According to the Times of India, Axar Patel is very reluctant to continue as Delhi Capitals captain after the team's disappointing results in the last two seasons. However, the management still wants him to lead the side and is trying to change his decision.

“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 finalising the captain till the auctions are done," a source told TOI

Axar led Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025 and 2026, but the team failed to qualify for the playoffs in either season. The franchise will now have to decide whether to continue with him or look for another captain. The Axar Patel Delhi Capitals captaincy situation is expected to remain an important talking point as teams prepare for the IPL 2027 mini-auction.

See Also: Axar Patel to stay with Delhi Capitals for IPL 2027? co-owner Parth Jindal shuts down exit rumours

Who can be the next DC Captain in IPL 2027? Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and other options

If Axar Patel opts out of captaincy, Delhi Capitals can consider KL Rahul as their captain for IPL 2027. Rahul is experienced in captaincy as he led Punjab Kings in IPL 2020 and IPL 2021 and Lucknow Super Giants from IPL 2022 to 2024. But reports also suggest that he may be unwilling to resume captaincy duties again.

Rishabh Pant could be another choice for the captaincy position for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2027. Rishabh Pant has led Delhi Capitals between 2021 and 2024 before joining Lucknow Super Giants as their skipper for the 2025 and 2026 IPL seasons. Pant’s prior experience of leading Delhi Capitals could be considered while looking at the prospects of finding a replacement for the captain.

See Also: 5 DC players who could be released before IPL 2027 — Full list, reasons & auction impact

However, neither Rahul nor Pant is reportedly very keen on taking up the leadership role. This would make the Delhi Capitals captain for IPL 2027 more complicated in case Axar steps down.  The franchise may have to consider other options or convince one of its senior players to take charge before the new season.