Major Changes Expected at Delhi Capitals, Axar Patel’s Captaincy Under Threat | Reports

Delhi Capitals may remove Axar Patel as captain and revamp the coaching staff after a disappointing IPL 2026 season, according to reports.

Delhi Capitals may look for a new captain after a disappointing IPL 2026 season under Axar Patel. The franchise struggled throughout the tournament and currently remain outside the playoff spots after managing only 5 wins from 12 matches.

Axar’s individual performances also came under pressure during the campaign. The 32-year-old scored only 100 runs in 9 innings at a strike rate of 112.50. More than half of those runs came in one innings, while he managed just 44 runs across his other 8 knocks.

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With the ball, Axar bowled only 36 overs in 12 matches and picked up 10 wickets at an economy rate of 8.08.

Reports suggest the all-rounder relied heavily on Hemang Badani and Venugopal Rao for tactical decisions. Meanwhile, JSW and Parth Jindal will reportedly regain control of cricket operations next season as Delhi Capitals prepare for possible leadership and management changes.

“With Axar completely failing to prove his leadership worth and mostly being dependent on Hemang Badani and Venugopal Rao for decision making, it will be a miracle if he retains captaincy next year,” news agency PTI quoted an IPL source as saying.

 “The entire coaching staff is also unlikely to be retained,” the source added.

In the tournament, Delhi Capitals went through a dramatic dip in form during the middle phase after managing only 1 win in 6 matches. The poor run pushed the franchise into a difficult position in the playoff race after an encouraging start to the season.

However, Delhi revived their campaign slightly with a tense 3-wicket win over Punjab Kings in Dharamshala. DC successfully chased down a massive 210-run target to stay alive in the competition.

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The franchise now face two crucial league matches. Delhi will host Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on May 17 at 7:30 PM IST before travelling to Eden Gardens to face Kolkata Knight Riders on May 24 at 7:30 PM IST.