Veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has offered a measured warning to Axar Patel ahead of IPL 2026, urging the Delhi Capitals skipper to strike the right balance between composure and urgency while leading the side. Axar’s calm and composed leadership style has often been praised, especially in a high-pressure tournament like the IPL. Under his captaincy, Delhi Capitals made a flying start in the 2025 season, winning four consecutive matches and looking like strong playoff contenders.

However, the campaign lost momentum midway, and DC eventually fell short of a top-four finish despite ending with 15 points. Reflecting on that dip, Pujara acknowledged Axar’s strengths but stressed the importance of maintaining intensity throughout a long tournament.

“Axar Patel is quite calm, he does not take too much pressure. His personality is really good, especially for the IPL where there is a lot of pressure. He backs his players, but he should be careful of not being over-relaxed. He should not be extra casual, and let momentum slip and go away from you. DC had momentum last year, but they let go of that. He has to be careful of that this season,” Cheteshwar Pujara said on Star Sports.

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While leadership remains a talking point, Axar’s individual performance with the ball also drew scrutiny last season. He managed just five wickets in 12 matches, with an average of 57.60, numbers that fell short of expectations.

However, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes a turnaround is on the cards. Kaif backed Axar to play a more proactive role with the ball in IPL 2026, potentially operating with the new ball in the powerplay.

“Axar Patel can bowl with the new ball in the powerplay, but last year the problem was that he got only a few wickets because he did not have runs to defend. He will bowl with the new ball this time as well, then there is Kuldeep and Vipraj Nigam as well, so I am not concerned about that. The last season was not that great, but he will make a strong comeback this year,” Mohamamad Kaif said.

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Encouragingly for DC, Axar enters the new season in solid form, picking up 11 wickets in seven recent matches—an indicator that he could lead from the front when IPL 2026 gets underway.