India’s Axar Patel and his teammates celebrate (ANI Photo) Axar Patel shed light on the unique ‘tradition’ that the Indian cricket team follows during big assignments while reiterating his stand against the Impact Player rule ahead of IPL 2026.The Delhi Capitals captain spoke about how players often visit temples during bilateral tours and ICC events. During the 2026 FIFA T20 World Cup, the Indian players were seen visiting several temples before the matches and even after lifting the title, captain Suryakumar Yadav, head coach Gautam Gambhir and International Cricket Council chairman Jay Shah visited the Hanuman temple to get the blessings of the trophy.
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Axar Patel questions Impact Player rule: ‘All-rounders lose value’ Axar explained at a Delhi Capitals event on Monday that such visits are largely due to convenience and security measures during tournaments. “Visiting temples is not a bad thing. We go to temples where we wouldn’t be able to otherwise. We have security with us during tournaments,” he said.In addition, Axar once again expressed his displeasure with the Impact Player rule, becoming the latest Indian cricketer to question its impact on the game. The rule, which was introduced in 2023, allows teams to substitute players from a list of five at any stage of a match and is set to remain in place until at least 2027.Axar’s view echoes that of other senior players like Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, both of whom have previously expressed concerns. Rohit pointed out in 2024 that the rule hinders the development of all-rounders, while Hardik later added that it makes team selection difficult if a player does not excel equally with both bat and ball.Axar explained his take on the matter, highlighting how the rule changes team strategies and reduces the need for multi-skilled players. “I honestly don’t like this rule because I’m an all-rounder. You used to pick an all-rounder to bat and bowl.”“But because of this rule, the team management decides on a particular batsman or bowler and thinks, “Why do we need an all-rounder?” Being an all-rounder, I don’t like this rule. Rules are rules and they have to be followed. But from a personal point of view, I don’t like the rule,” he said at a preseason press conference.Delhi Capitals will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on April 1. Axar had also previously raised the issue in 2024, noting that the rule had an impact on his batting position when he was vice-captain.
