Axar Patel has been in great form lately. After missing the 2023 ODI World Cup due to injury, he then played key roles in India’s title wins in the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. Later on, he was appointed as captain of the Delhi Capitals as well. And, under his leadership, DC are placed at the top of the points table after playing six games.
“As a captain, you need to enjoy the responsibility. That’s why I took up the role,” said Axar at the post-match press conference after the DC-RR clash. “I was doing all this for State cricket. So, I know what to do and what not to do. When you get a chance to run the team according to your standards, and play the way you want to play cricket, if you get a chance, why to let it go? I’m enjoying both on and off the field. I’m enjoying it.”
“I’m doing whatever I feel is right and backing myself. It’s not like I will listen to lots of opinions, yes I do listen to suggestions but ultimately, I have to make the decisions. It’s important for me to back myself, so that I can learn from the mistakes whenever something goes wrong. I’m enjoying (the challenge of captaincy),” he again shared.
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However, veteran batter KL Rahul was on the race of being the DC captain but he turned down the leadership role and the door opened for Axar Patel, who has been playing a key role with both the bat and the ball. He also explained the importance of striking a balance between fun and discipline as well.
“I think they can tell from my face whether their captain is angry or if he’s a little serious.” said Axar Patel.”Obviously, it’s a thin line. As a captain, I have to take care of the team and the atmosphere. But at the same time, it shouldn’t appear like I’m taking it lightly. It shouldn’t be like, the captain is joking around. But I’ve drawn that line. I’ve told them that they can do what they want as long as the job is executed well on the field. Until the job isn’t done, there shouldn’t be any lazing around. I know that I have to maintain the atmosphere but also be serious at the same time. I think the key is to enjoy your cricket. I feel that you play your best cricket when you are enjoying the game. So, that’s what I’m striving for.”
Axar Patel also explained the decision of using Tristan Stubbs as a bowling option. He said that it was a matchup of offspin against left-hander batter but the plan backfired as Nicholas Pooran hit him for 28 runs as well. Talking about these decisions, Axar termed the moves as ‘tactical’ as well.
“I don’t know about others but I don’t mind owning up to mistakes because these are opportunities to learn. However, I wouldn’t call this as a mistake. It was more of a tactical call. If you are playing against two lefties and you have to sneak in an over, ‘then what can you do? What resources do you have?’ And at that time if I feel I can use this, I go with my gut feel. But sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. So, I can’t really call it a mistake. You can say that the decision didn’t work. When they work, you get praises and when they don’t, you get a lot of criticism. It’s okay,” he added.
“The way the wicket went in the first inning, it looked like the ball was getting stuck. The slower bouncer was getting stuck on the pitch and it was not that easy to hit them. But when we came to bowl, I saw that our bowler were not looking that effective with this tactic. It wasn’t holding as much onto the pitch,” he stated.
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“So, then I changed my plan. And I brought Mohit for the 19th over because he had been doing this role well for Gujarat for the last two years. So, I knew what he could do in the death overs. Mukesh wasn’t having a good outing, so I thought of holding him back. And then with Starc’s two overs at the death with right-left combination, I was confident he could beat the batters with pace. He has a good yorker, good slower bouncer and all that. The idea was to mix things up but when we got Nitish’s wicket (with a perfect yorker), I felt that we shouldn’t think too much (and stick to yorkers),” he added.
While Axar Patel the captain has been in great form, his individual form has been poor. His economy rate has also been high. His batting, however, has made headlines, like the 14-ball 34 against RR, an innings that helped his side a lot.
“In Champions Trophy, my finger got cut and I have been nursing myself ever since. I have tried to bowl within myself (in the IPL) and only when the team has really needed me. I did try to stretch myself in the SRH contest but it backfired as the whole skin layer came out. So I have been saving myself. I wasn’t able to bowl at my speeds. But, because of that, I was also thinking that I was bowling well, but I wasn’t able to put the impact I wanted. And, I think, the way my finger is now, it’s good. I think I got my first wicket too, if the catch was taken, I could have had two and if we reviewed, maybe three. But that’s how it goes. It’s okay, it’s part of the game. I’m not thinking much about it. I’m just thinking that if I’m bowling well, if I’m bowling the right balls and the right areas. As long as I do that, I don’t care about the wickets,” he shared.
Axar Patel also opened up on the Super Over and he was thrilled and enjoying all the adventures as well.
“Nobody plans for these (Super Overs), right? It’s about going with the flow. Being in my first season as captain, I was a bit numb when I realised that we have a Super Over to deal with. But such games show the team’s morale and the confidence that the side has. In such games, you get to see the character of the team. It was good for me that I got to know what the team can do and what they can’t. As a captain, I’m very happy with my team, the way they’re playing cricket and executing the planning. We’ll have to improve our fielding, but we’ll see in the next match,” Axar Patel concluded.
