IPL 2025: Delhi Capitals ‘ready to roll’ under Axar Patel’s leadership

The Delhi Capitals are ready for a successful start to the season when they play the Lucknow Super Giants at their second home, the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, on Monday, March 24. They are fired up for the new IPL cycle and new challenges.

During a press conference held prior to the game, newly chosen captain Axar Patel and head coach Hemang Badani gave their opinions on the team’s preparedness for the next campaign.

“Since 2019, I have been playing for this team, and it has greatly contributed to my development as a cricket player,” Axar said in reference to his current position as captain of the Delhi Capitals. I consider it a huge honor to be given the captaincy. There are a number of leaders in the squad, and I keep learning from their experiences. Having seasoned players like Faf du Plessis and KL Rahul by my side is comforting. We have a well-rounded team this season, and I have no doubt that we will turn things around and get the outcomes we want.”

The top all-rounder for India talked about his approach as skipper and emphasized the value of “keeping things simple.”

I don’t want to make things too complicated at the end of the day. As captain, I’ve reminded the team to keep things simple because cricket is simply a game. Everything will work out if you execute it well. I want them to concentrate on keeping things simple, not on pursuing particular outcomes. That’s how I’m going to approach the competition.”

When asked how the Delhi Capitals plan to start the new season, Axar Patel stated that the club is “ready to roll.”

“Every player wants to accomplish something unique for this team. We haven’t played together much yet because we have a new squad and a new captain, but we have the same mindset: we want to play boldly and go out there and express ourselves. Everyone is dedicated to giving it their all, and the players genuinely love the DC family environment.”

The duel between bat and ball has always been the focus of cricket for me, but in recent years, the balance has shifted significantly in favor of the hitters, according to Head Coach Hemang Badani, who also offered his opinions on the new IPL 2025 regulations. The bowlers, in my opinion, simply benefit from the lifting of the saliva prohibition. This distinguishes hitting the inside of the bat from hitting the middle of the bat, even if the ball deviates little.

“Even the new rule that permits a ball change between overs 11 and 20 gives the fielding side a chance to stay in the game in the second innings.” I believe the reform is beneficial, and I fully support it,” he continued.

Axar discussed the conditions of the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, the second home base of the Delhi Capitals, saying, “The Vizag pitch is a really nice one. When we played here twice last season, KKR scored between 250 and 260. It has always been a high-scoring field with lots of fireworks from the hitters. However, we have strategies in place and will concentrate on carrying them out effectively in order to limit the opposition to a small number. Every game is an opportunity to develop, even though the pitch does favor batters.

“Suspense!” the head coach said in jest when asked about the match’s opening batting combination. You’ll just have to watch and wait. Tomorrow, we’ll update you on the field.

On Monday, March 24, the Delhi Capitals will play the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2025 opener at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.