Many believe that captaincy has placed an added pressure on Axar Patel while others simply feel that he lacks the tactical ability and astuteness to lead an IPL side
Published: May 15, 2026 5:13 PM IST
The Delhi Capitals are in for plenty of changes once their dreadful Indian Premier League 2026 campaign comes to an end. The North Indian franchise, currently placed at the bottom-half of the standings, only have a mathematical chance to qualify for the play-offs, but that also depends on what the other top 4 contenders do in their remaining matches.
It is being widely reported that all-rounder Axar Patel is most likely to lose his captaincy with the entire coaching staff, headed by Hemang Badani, also expected to be sacked once the season ends.
Delhi are currently 7th in the standings with 10 points to their name and even if they win their remaining two games against the Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders, which will take them to 14, it still might not be enough to seal a top 4 spot.
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They are in the play-offs race along with other bottom sided teams Chennai (5th) and Rajasthan (6th), who are level on points (12) but are separated due to their net run-rates. Delhi recently broke their losing streak with a splendid 3-wicket win over the Punjab Kings, chasing down a total of 211 and confirmed their victory in the final ball of the match.
It was a rare occasion in which captain Axar Patel scored a half-century, his first in IPL 2026, after failing to get runs under his belt in previous 9 outings in which he accounted for only 44 runs combined. With the ball, Axar has been under par, registering just 10 wickets in 12 outings at an economy rate of 8.08.
Many believe that captaincy has placed an added pressure on Axar Patel while others simply feel that he lacks the tactical ability and astuteness to lead an IPL side.
Delhi ownership’s two-year cycle to float in major changes
Next year and the year after, the men’s Delhi Capitals team will be managed by the JSW group under the leadership of Parth Jindal and it has already signaled plenty of changes to the side for the 2027 IPL edition.
Sources close to the franchise believe that only a miracle will save Axar Patel from losing captaincy but nothing can save the Hemang Badani-led coaching staff from getting sacked. A new backroom staff and team management will be put together before the mini player auction for the 2027 season later this year.
“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. The entire coaching staff is also unlikely to be retained.” – a source close to the franchise said.
In the last 19 years of IPL’s existence, Delhi’s best finish has been that of a runner-up back in 2021 when the then Shreyas Iyer-led side lost the Mumbai Indians in the final. Since then, DC hasn’t even finished in the top 4, let alone challenging for the title.
As North India awaits its first IPL winner, it will be interesting to see what changes Delhi brings for next season.
