Axar Patel feeling DC captaincy pressure: Irfan Pathan flags all-rounder's burdens
Irfan Pathan said Axar Patel appears burdened by captaincy as Delhi Capitals' season continues to slip. The scrutiny has intensified with Delhi losing four of their last five and their playoff margin nearly gone.
Axar Patel’s difficult IPL 2026 season as captain of Delhi Capitals is now drawing increasing scrutiny after another damaging defeat hurt the team’s playoff hopes. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan feels the pressure of handling captaincy alongside Axar’s all-round responsibilities may now be affecting his own performances as well.
Delhi’s latest setback came against Chennai Super Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where DC managed only 155/7 before CSK chased the target comfortably thanks to Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 87. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Champions Waali Commentary’, Pathan said Axar currently looks overloaded trying to balance leadership, bowling and batting together.
“Look, when the performances don’t happen, you always look towards the captain, right?” Pathan said.
“Axar Patel, who has been leading the side this season, is in a similar boat. One thing I have felt is that sometimes while leading the side, he is holding himself back with the ball.”
“He is the kind of bowler who can regularly bowl in the powerplay. I remember one game against RCB at the Chinnaswamy Stadium where he bowled slightly late. He could have come in earlier during the powerplay, but he didn’t.”
Pathan also pointed towards Axar’s dip in batting form while trying to manage multiple responsibilities as skipper.
“When that happens for an all-rounder leading the side, there are so many things to handle. He has to take care of his bowling, batting, and also get the results as captain.”
“There are too many things on his plate, and probably it is not working for him at the moment.”
It is becoming a difficult season for Axar at exactly the wrong time.
Delhi started IPL 2026 brightly, but their campaign has slowly slipped into tactical confusion, inconsistent selections and repeated collapses in pressure moments.
IS AXAR HOLDING HIMSELF BACK AS CAPTAIN?
One of the biggest talking points around Axar’s captaincy this season has been his own usage with the ball.
Multiple experts, including Ravichandran Ashwin and Aaron Finch earlier in the season, questioned why Axar was not bowling himself more aggressively in key phases.
Pathan echoed a similar concern.
“So sometimes he is not able to push his bowling forward because he is thinking about getting the best out of the other bowlers,” Pathan explained.
“I don’t think he should neglect his own bowling because he is a wonderful bowler.”
The numbers also reflect the drop.
Axar has taken nine wickets in 10 matches this season at an economy rate of 8.25, while his batting returns have been even more worrying.
The DC captain has managed only 33 runs across seven innings and has crossed double digits just 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 HAS GONE WRONG FOR DELHI CAPITALS?
Delhi’s problems this season have rarely looked like one isolated issue. Instead, the team has repeatedly appeared unsure about combinations, batting roles and tactical identity.
Against CSK, those issues surfaced again.
Despite dew being expected later in the evening, DC chose to bat first and never fully recovered after another sluggish middle-order effort. The continued backing of struggling combinations, including the use of Karun Nair at No. 3, has also raised questions.
At the same time, players like Abishek Porel have moved in and out of the side despite showing signs of promise earlier in the season.
Field placements, bowling changes and overall game management have also often looked reactive rather than proactive. Delhi have now lost four of their last five matches and sit seventh on the points table with eight points from 10 games.
Their playoff hopes are still mathematically alive, but with multiple teams ahead of them, the margin for error is now almost gone.
Champions Wali Commentary is a dedicated digital feed in Hindi on CTV featuring former TATA IPL champions who share never heard before tales and an insight into players’ minds as live action plays out.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
Axar Patel’s difficult IPL 2026 season as captain of Delhi Capitals is now drawing increasing scrutiny after another damaging defeat hurt the team’s playoff hopes. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan feels the pressure of handling captaincy alongside Axar’s all-round responsibilities may now be affecting his own performances as well.
Delhi’s latest setback came against Chennai Super Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where DC managed only 155/7 before CSK chased the target comfortably thanks to Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 87. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Champions Waali Commentary’, Pathan said Axar currently looks overloaded trying to balance leadership, bowling and batting together.
“Look, when the performances don’t happen, you always look towards the captain, right?” Pathan said.
“Axar Patel, who has been leading the side this season, is in a similar boat. One thing I have felt is that sometimes while leading the side, he is holding himself back with the ball.”
“He is the kind of bowler who can regularly bowl in the powerplay. I remember one game against RCB at the Chinnaswamy Stadium where he bowled slightly late. He could have come in earlier during the powerplay, but he didn’t.”
Pathan also pointed towards Axar’s dip in batting form while trying to manage multiple responsibilities as skipper.
“When that happens for an all-rounder leading the side, there are so many things to handle. He has to take care of his bowling, batting, and also get the results as captain.”
“There are too many things on his plate, and probably it is not working for him at the moment.”
It is becoming a difficult season for Axar at exactly the wrong time.
Delhi started IPL 2026 brightly, but their campaign has slowly slipped into tactical confusion, inconsistent selections and repeated collapses in pressure moments.
IS AXAR HOLDING HIMSELF BACK AS CAPTAIN?
One of the biggest talking points around Axar’s captaincy this season has been his own usage with the ball.
Multiple experts, including Ravichandran Ashwin and Aaron Finch earlier in the season, questioned why Axar was not bowling himself more aggressively in key phases.
Pathan echoed a similar concern.
“So sometimes he is not able to push his bowling forward because he is thinking about getting the best out of the other bowlers,” Pathan explained.
“I don’t think he should neglect his own bowling because he is a wonderful bowler.”
The numbers also reflect the drop.
Axar has taken nine wickets in 10 matches this season at an economy rate of 8.25, while his batting returns have been even more worrying.
The DC captain has managed only 33 runs across seven innings and has crossed double digits just 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 HAS GONE WRONG FOR DELHI CAPITALS?
Delhi’s problems this season have rarely looked like one isolated issue. Instead, the team has repeatedly appeared unsure about combinations, batting roles and tactical identity.
Against CSK, those issues surfaced again.
Despite dew being expected later in the evening, DC chose to bat first and never fully recovered after another sluggish middle-order effort. The continued backing of struggling combinations, including the use of Karun Nair at No. 3, has also raised questions.
At the same time, players like Abishek Porel have moved in and out of the side despite showing signs of promise earlier in the season.
Field placements, bowling changes and overall game management have also often looked reactive rather than proactive. Delhi have now lost four of their last five matches and sit seventh on the points table with eight points from 10 games.
Their playoff hopes are still mathematically alive, but with multiple teams ahead of them, the margin for error is now almost gone.
Champions Wali Commentary is a dedicated digital feed in Hindi on CTV featuring former TATA IPL champions who share never heard before tales and an insight into players’ minds as live action plays out.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
