Indian star wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul has turned down the chance to become the new captain of Delhi Capitals. According to a report by news agency IANS, the 32-year-old right-handed batsman was offered the captaincy of the Delhi team by the franchise owners, but Rahul rejected it saying that he wants to contribute as a player in the 2025 edition.

KL Rahul has previously captained Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants. He was signed by the Delhi franchise for Rs 14 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction. After his refusal, Delhi Capitals is now preparing to make star Indian all-rounder Axar Patel the new captain. Axar, a 31-year-old Gujarat cricketer, has been part of the Delhi Capitals since the 2019 season and was retained for Rs 18 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.

Sources told IANS on Tuesday, "Yes, Axar Patel is likely to be made the captain of Delhi Capitals for IPL 2025. The franchise had requested KL Rahul to captain the team, but he wants to contribute as a player in the upcoming tournament,"

Axar made his captaincy debut for Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2024 season. He captained the team in a match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, in which Rishabh Pant was not allowed to play due to over-rate offense. Axar, who was a member of the Indian teams that won the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy in 2025, has scored 1653 runs and taken 123 wickets in 150 IPL matches so far. He made his IPL debut for Punjab Kings in the 2014 season and joined Delhi Capitals in 2019.

KL Rahul, on the other hand, has played for four teams in the IPL so far—RCB, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants. The right-handed batsman was not retained by Lucknow Super Giants ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, although he was the highest run-scorer for the franchise in the 2024 edition.

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