NEW DELHI: In an era of fleeting flamboyance in cricket, Axar Patel is an outlier. The all-rounder played a pivotal role in India winning three ICC titles — two T20 World Cups and a Champions Trophy — in a span of 21 months. He has won games with both bat and ball, and his fielding has been equally memorable.Who can forget his catch to dismiss Mitchell Marsh with a perfectly timed leap at deep square leg in Gros Islet in 2024, or the effort at a packed Wankhede where he ran back from point to grab a skier from England captain Harry Brook during the thrilling T20 World Cup semi-final.
Then there was the Will Jacks catch in the same match. While the scorecard will credit Shivam Dube, it was Axar’s stunning effort that made all the difference. He plucked the ball on the run, lost balance without losing awareness of the boundary cushions, and tossed it towards a converging Dube to complete the dismissal.The 32-year-old has always been hailed as a team man to the very end. Over the years, he has been labelled India’s “crisis man”, “the underrated one”, Ravindra Jadeja’s “understudy”, and even tagged as “forever the bridesmaid”.The 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League presents him with a chance to shed those tags. Leading the Delhi Capitals for a second consecutive season, Axar has an opportunity to claim a crowning moment in his career.On Monday, at the Delhi Capitals pre-season press conference, Axar deservedly received all the plaudits, but he looked like a man on a mission. IPL 2026 could also mark a defining chapter for a player who has given his sweat, tears and blood to a franchise often seen as the IPL’s perennial underachiever, while entering his eighth consecutive season with the team.
Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel, right, and Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao during a press conference ahead of the IPL 2026 season. (PTI Photo)
“In the first year as captain, you are learning a lot, be it about your players, about situations and about yourself as a leader. Now I feel more settled. I understand the players better, I understand what works for this team and what kind of environment we want to create,” said Axar.“The focus is on being positive, aggressive and, most importantly, building trust. When players feel that backing and trust, they automatically take responsibility and perform better. That is something I am very clear about as a captain.”Delhi Capitals will start their campaign on April 1 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. The first job for Axar will be to kick off the campaign with a win. The Delhi franchise, in the past, has often come close but not finished the job. Axar knows this very well, having played 84 games in Delhi colours.MUST READ | Understated, indispensable: Why Axar Patel remains India’s unsung MVP“We don’t sit and keep talking about the past. Everyone knows that we have come close in certain moments, and as players you are aware of it anyway. The conversation is always about what we can do better going forward. Maybe one or two matches could have changed things, but that is how the game goes. We focus on staying positive and improving as a unit rather than carrying those thoughts into a new season,” he said.
Everyone knows that we have come close in certain moments, and as players you are aware of it anyway. The conversation is always about what we can do better going forward
Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel
If Delhi Capitals are to end the drought, Axar will have to step up with the bat, ball and as a captain. Interestingly, Axar has never crossed the 300-run mark in the IPL in the 162 games he has played over twelve years. The all-rounder is yet to better his debut season with the ball, where he picked up 17 wickets for Kings XI Punjab, now Punjab Kings. But as Venugopal Rao, Delhi Capitals’ Director of Cricket, said, the management believes in Axar to take the franchise to that elusive trophy.“Franchise cricket and the Indian team are totally different. There are different cultures. At the franchise level, there are players from different countries who come together and play. In the Indian team, everybody knows how they will play. The winning mentality of the Indian team is such that everyone is flexible enough and adapts to any role and conditions. At the franchise level, as skipper, I would like to bring that. You can’t just play one way,” he said.“In the Indian team, roles are set. At the franchise level, sometimes someone who opens has to play in the middle order.“I am very excited about the new season. Whatever mistakes we made last season, we have got good back-ups in the opening slot and the pace department at the auction. We have a full-fledged squad, and we are very excited about fighting for the title,” added Axar.
Delhi Capitals coach Hemang Badani (R) and captain Axar Patel during a press conference ahead of the IPL 2026 season. (PTI)
Axar also made it pretty clear that, as an all-rounder, he is not a big fan of the Impact Player rule. “As an all-rounder, I am personally not a fan of the Impact Player rule. Earlier, you would have to pick all-rounders. Because of this, team managements can pick a particular batter or bowler. So, I am not a fan of it,” he said.Axar Patel also shared what he has learnt from captaining Delhi last season. Not to forget, he is the vice-captain of India’s title-winning T20 World Cup team and was dropped in the Super Eight against South Africa because of match-ups.“I am not saying I don’t look at data or match-ups completely. It depends on the situation. I look at all factors and assess. It is not that I don’t look at match-ups or data. I follow everything and then it depends. You have to know when to use what weapon. When you are on the ground and taking decisions, it is about what you feel at that point of time. Obviously, you go on instinct as well. It is a mix of things,” he said.For Axar Patel, IPL 2026 is not just another season, it is a chance to redefine his narrative. A player long valued for his selflessness now stands at the centre of Delhi Capitals’ ambitions. If he can combine his all-round consistency with decisive leadership, this could finally be the season where he moves from being the dependable support act to the man who delivers the ultimate prize.
