Decoding Axar Patel's numbers as captain in T20 cricket
What's the story
The Delhi Capitals (DC) have announced Axar Patel as the captain of the team for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The all-rounder played a key role in India's recent Champions Trophy triumph and had captained DC during IPL 2024 when Rishabh Pant was unavailable for a match due to an over-rate offense. Here we look at how he has fared as a captain in the 20-over format.
DYK
Patel was DC's top retention
It must be noted that Patel was DC's top retention for ₹16.50 crore ahead of the mega auction last November. This highlights his importance in the franchise. While his captaincy experience isn't massive, he was named India's T20I vice-captain for the series against England in January this year. The 31-year-old has led his state team Gujarat in 23 matches across formats.
Stats
Two fifties while leading in T20 cricket
As per ESPNcricinfo, Patel has led 17 times in T20 cricket. He has scored 364 runs in these games at 36.40 and his strike rate (144.44) is also impressive. The tally includes a couple of fifties. Though captain Patel has managed just 13 wickets, his economy rate of 6.09 is remarkable. The all-rounder has 10 wins under his belt as a leader. As mentioned, he has led just once in the IPL.
Player stats
Patel's impressive IPL record
Patel joined DC ahead of the 2019 IPL season and has been an integral part of the franchise ever since. He has scored 1,653 runs at a strike rate of 130.88 in 150 matches in the IPL. The all-rounder has also picked up 123 wickets with his left-arm spin bowling, having an economy of 7.28. For DC, he has clocked 967 runs at 23.58 and 62 scalps at an economy of 7.06.
Leadership choice
KL Rahul was another contender for DC captaincy
While Patel has been selected to lead DC, KL Rahul was another strong candidate for the captaincy position. Rahul's captaincy has played a key role in taking Lucknow Super Giants to the playoffs in 2022 and 2023. He also has an excellent batting record, scoring over 500 runs in every full season since 2018. He clocked 520 runs in IPL 2024.