As soon as he returned from the Champions Trophy, KL Rahul has made a significant decision regarding his captaincy role in the Indian Premier League (IPL). According to media reports, Rahul has turned down the offer to captain Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025. The franchise had approached him for the leadership role, but he declined the offer.
Reports suggest that Rahul wants to focus solely on his performance as a player rather than taking up captaincy responsibilities. With Rahul stepping away from the leadership race, speculation is now rising that Akshar Patel could take over as captain of the Delhi Capitals. The captaincy contest was mainly between these two players, and with Rahul opting out, Akshar appears to be the frontrunner.
During the IPL 2025 mega auction, Delhi Capitals secured KL Rahul for ₹14 crore. Given his previous captaincy experience—leading Punjab Kings in 2020-21 and Lucknow Super Giants from 2022 to 2024—many assumed he would naturally take on the role at Delhi Capitals. His name was widely discussed as the potential leader of the team.
Now that reports indicate Rahul prefers to contribute solely as a player, this could actually benefit Delhi Capitals. Rahul has been one of the most consistent performers in IPL history, scoring 500+ runs in six out of seven seasons from 2018 to 2024. His decision to focus on batting might provide Delhi with a strong foundation at the top order.
If Rahul doesn’t take up the captaincy, Akshar Patel is likely to lead the side. However, the challenge is that Akshar lacks IPL captaincy experience compared to Rahul. While he has proven himself with both bat and ball, leading an IPL team is a different responsibility altogether. Delhi Capitals may take a gamble and give him the chance to prove himself as a leader.
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