Axar Patel on Delhi Capitals’ mantra before IPL 2025 clash vs LSG: Keep it simple-OxBig News Network

Axar Patel said that Delhi Capitals (DC) would try to keep things as simple as possible in their campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. On Monday, March 24, the Capitals are set to begin their campaign against Rishabh Pant’s Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam.

Earlier this month, Axar took over from Rishabh Pant as the DC captain after Pant made a move to LSG for Rs 27 crore. Axar captained DC in a solitary game last season against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), but finished on the losing side.

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“When I had been announced as the captain I was really confident about the job. I am playing from 2019 for DC, I will grow as a cricketer in this franchise. I am honoured to be given the responsibility,” Axar said before the match.

‘IPL a batsman game’

DC is one of the original teams along with RCB and Punjab Kings (PBKS) to not have won the IPL title. In 2020, the Capitals made their way through to the final where Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians (MI) beat them. Axar said that DC will look to grow as a unit through their campaign.

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“For the last 17 years, we have been fighting for the title. But we don’t care about the results but whatever is in our hands we will follow that,” he said.

“Nowadays cricket has changed, IPL is more about a batsman game, fours and sixes, but we have to evolve as a team. As a captain my message to my teammates is to keep it simple and that’s my strategy,” Axar added.

Earlier, it was speculated that KL Rahul would become the skipper of DC, but Axar pipped him. As T20 captain, Axar has scored 364 runs at an average of 36.40 and taken 13 wickets at an average of 29.07 with best figures of 4-0-13-2.