India all-rounder Axar Patel is reportedly not keen on continuing as Delhi Capitals captain in IPL 2027 after two disappointing seasons at the helm.

Axar was handed the leadership role a couple of years ago and captained the franchise in the 2025 and 2026 editions of the Indian Premier League. However, Delhi Capitals failed to reach the playoffs in both seasons, raising questions about the team’s performance and leadership going into the next edition.

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According to a report in The Times of India on Thursday, Axar is reluctant to continue as captain after two difficult campaigns. The franchise management, however, is not ready to give up on him and is trying to convince the India all-rounder to stay in the role.

A DC source told TOI that Axar remains an important part of the franchise, but convincing him to continue as captain could be a challenge.

Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul Among Possible Captaincy Options

If Axar decides to step down, Delhi Capitals could look at Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul as possible replacements.

Pant previously led Delhi Capitals from 2021 to 2024 before moving to Lucknow Super Giants, where he took over the captaincy in the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

KL Rahul also brings considerable leadership experience. He captained Punjab Kings in 2020 and 2021 before leading Lucknow Super Giants from 2022 to 2024.

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However, neither player appears particularly keen on taking up the responsibility at this stage. According to the report, Pant does not want to focus too much on captaincy, while Rahul has not shown any strong interest in the role so far.

Delhi Capitals Not Looking To Trade Axar Patel

There has also been speculation about Axar’s future at Delhi Capitals, with reports suggesting that the franchise could consider trading him ahead of IPL 2027.

However, the latest report suggests that DC have no plans to trade any player at the moment. The franchise has reportedly rejected several attractive offers for Axar, underlining his importance to the team.

The new management, led by former India captain Sourav Ganguly, is happy with the middle-order combination and is expected to focus on strengthening the bowling attack at the upcoming auction.

Delhi Capitals have already traded Kuldeep Yadav to Lucknow Super Giants and T Natarajan to Sunrisers Hyderabad. With those departures, rebuilding the bowling unit is likely to be one of the franchise’s biggest priorities ahead of IPL 2027.