Axar Patel’s difficult IPL 2026 season as captain of Delhi Capitals is now drawing more and more attention after yet another devastating defeat damaged the team’s playoff hopes. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan feels that the pressure of captaincy along with Axar’s all-round duties may now affect his own performances.
Delhi’s last setback came against Chennai Super Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium where DC managed just 155/7 before CSK comfortably chased down the target thanks to Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 87. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Champions Waali Commentary’, Pathan said that Axar looks overworked at the moment as he tries to balance fielding, bowling and batting together.
“Look, when there aren’t performances, you’re always watching the captain, aren’t you?” said the Pathan.
“Axar Patel, who has led the side this season, is in a similar boat. One thing I felt is that sometimes when he is leading the side, he holds back with the ball.”
“He is the type of bowler who can bowl regular overs. I remember one game against RCB at the Chinnaswamy Stadium where he bowled a bit late. He could have come earlier in the over but he didn’t.”
Pathan also pointed to Axar’s dip in batting form as he tried to manage multiple responsibilities as captain.
“When that happens to an all-rounder leading the side, there are so many things to manage. He has to take care of bowling, batting and also getting results as a captain.”
“There are too many things on his plate and it’s probably not working for him at the moment.
Axar’s difficult season is starting at exactly the wrong time.
Delhi started IPL 2026 on a bright note but their campaign slowly slipped into tactical confusion, inconsistent selections and repeated collapses at pressure moments.
IS AXAR HOLDING BACK AS CAPTAIN?
One of the biggest talking points regarding Axar’s captaincy this season has been his own use of the ball.
Many experts, including Ravichandran Ashwin and Aaron Finch earlier in the season he questioned why Axar wasn’t playing more aggressively at key stages.
Pathan echoed similar concerns.
“So sometimes he is not able to push his bowling forward because he is thinking about how to get the best out of the other bowlers,” explained Pathan.
“I don’t think he should neglect his own bowling because he is a great bowler.
The numbers also reflect the decline.
Axar has taken nine wickets in 10 matches this season at an economy rate of 8.25, while his returns from the bat have been even more worrying.
The DC skipper managed just 33 runs in seven innings and only crossed double figures once all season.
For a player expected to contribute in multiple departments, the pressure has visibly piled up over the course of the campaign.
WHAT HAPPENED WRONG IN THE CAPITAL OF DELHI?
Delhi’s problems this season have rarely looked like one isolated issue. Instead, the team repeatedly seemed unsure of combinations, batting roles and tactical identity.
Against CSK, these issues resurfaced.
Although dew was expected later in the evening, DC chose to bat first and never fully recovered after another slow effort from the middle order. The continued support of struggling combinations, including the use of Karun Nair at No.3, has also raised questions.
At the same time, players like Abishek Porel moved in and out despite showing signs of promise earlier in the season.
Fielding, bowling changes and overall game management also often seemed reactive rather than proactive. Delhi have now lost four of their last five matches and are seventh in the points table with eight points from 10 matches.
Their playoff hopes are still mathematically alive, but with several teams ahead of them, the margin for error is now almost gone.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
May 8, 2026 09:53 IST
