"I would say make Axar the captain" - Aakash Chopra on choosing between Axar Patel and KL Rahul as Delhi Capitals skipper for IPL 2025
Former player Aakash Chopra wants the Delhi Capitals (DC) to appoint Axar Patel ahead of KL Rahul as their captain for IPL 2025. He opined that the spin-bowling all-rounder has been a terrific performer for the franchise and will lead the team well.
The Capitals retained Axar for ₹16.50 crore while releasing Rishabh Pant, their last season's skipper, ahead of the auction. They failed to reacquire Pant but bought Rahul for ₹14 crore.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener urged the Delhi Capitals to make Axar their captain.
"Who will be the captain? Their situation is like KKR. It could be Axar Patel. I don't mind him being the captain. If you give me the option, I would say make Axar the captain. He is extremely underrated, very mature, fantastic performer, and he will run the team very well. He is someone who will command respect," he said (10:10).
Chopra reckons Axar will be a better option to lead than Rahul and Faf du Plessis.
"KL Rahul could be the other option. The third could be Faf du Plessis if they wish so, but they might not play Faf from the start because they used the Right To Match card for Jake Fraser-McGurk. So I am thinking between Axar and Rahul but the management hasn't given any clarity yet. My vote goes towards Axar because his performances on this ground have been exceptional," he observed.
Chopra feels Axar would have fire in his belly as he has not been utilized fully, especially with the bat, in the last couple of IPL seasons. He added that Axar has been treated similarly by the Indian team, considering that he wasn't included in the XI in the recent home Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand despite being in the squad and was hardly used with the ball in the subsequent T20I series against South Africa.
"An absolute steal buy" - Aakash Chopra on Delhi Capitals' acquisition of KL Rahul in IPL 2025 auction
![KL Rahul captained the Lucknow Super Giants in the last three seasons of the IPL. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/11/1d528-17328568301720-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra acknowledged that KL Rahul was a 'steal' for the Delhi Capitals after they failed to buy Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant.
"When they couldn't take Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, they said they were getting KL Rahul for ₹14 crore. An absolute steal buy. Someone might say fair price, but I would say an absolute steal because it is a very small ground and has a flat pitch," he said (5:05).
The reputed commentator reckons the former Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper would want to prove his worth in IPL 2025.
"So if Rahul has the fire within because he has taken a pay cut, he must be hurting because he used to be a team's captain and has been one of the most consistent players in the IPL, this could be the season where he is out there to prove what he can do. If someone is stopping KL Rahul from playing destructively, it's KL Rahul," Chopra elaborated.
Rahul was LSG's highest run-getter in IPL 2024. The wicketkeeper-batter amassed 520 runs at a strike rate of 136.12 in 14 innings last season.