Discussions about IPL 2025 have already begun, and some teams are yet to announce their captains. One such team is Delhi Capitals. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has identified three potential candidates for the captaincy role in IPL 2025—Axar Patel, KL Rahul, and Faf du Plessis. He believes that considering Axar’s rising stature in Indian cricket, he might be the frontrunner in the race.
Delhi Retained Axar Patel
Delhi Capitals had retained Axar Patel for ₹16.50 crore before the mega auction last year, showcasing their trust in his abilities. Later, they bought KL Rahul for ₹14 crore and Faf du Plessis for ₹2 crore. Axar had an excellent IPL 2024 season, taking 12 wickets in 11 innings with an economy rate of 7.65. He also contributed 235 runs in 12 innings with a strike rate of 131.28.
Aakash Chopra Shared His Opinion on YouTube
On his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said, “I believe Delhi has three options—Axar Patel, KL Rahul, and Faf du Plessis. They retained Axar, and his stature is growing. He is the vice-captain of India’s T20I team, will play in the Champions Trophy, and has an important role in the Indian ODI team. He is mature, understands the game well, and puts the team ahead of himself. That makes him a great option for captaincy.”
Rahul’s Leadership Experience
Aakash also highlighted KL Rahul’s leadership experience as a strong factor. He said, “KL Rahul is the second option. I think Delhi got him at a bargain price, making him a valuable pick. He has plenty of captaincy experience—leading the Indian team, Punjab Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants. Under his leadership, Lucknow reached the playoffs twice. So, he is a viable captaincy candidate.”
Faf du Plessis Could Also Be Considered
Discussing other options, Aakash suggested that Faf du Plessis could be another choice. However, he ultimately felt that Axar might be the franchise’s final pick. He stated, “This is an interesting race. One player was retained, and the other two were bought. If they consider a third option, they might look at Faf du Plessis, who is still performing well. However, I believe Axar is the likely choice.”
Surprise Over Rajat Patidar’s Captaincy for RCB
Aakash also expressed surprise over Rajat Patidar’s appointment as the new captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for IPL 2025. He said, “Rajat Patidar is the new RCB captain. We will find out how effective he will be. We expected Virat Kohli, but he isn’t the choice. Patidar is the eighth captain for RCB. Before him, the team had leaders like Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Kevin Pietersen, Daniel Vettori, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, and Virat Kohli, who captained the team the longest.”
RCB and Delhi Yet to Win an IPL Title
Neither RCB nor Delhi Capitals have won an IPL title so far. However, Aakash noted that RCB remains a competitive team. He said, “RCB has had great captains in the past. Many judge a franchise’s success based on the number of trophies won. While RCB hasn’t won a title, it is not a failed franchise. It is a fairly successful team even without a trophy, as they are rarely at the bottom of the table.”