Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul Or Axar Patel? Aakash Chopra Raises Delhi Capitals' Captaincy Question

Former India cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra believes Delhi Capitals have several issues to address ahead of the new IPL season. From finding the right captain to strengthening their pace bowling attack, Chopra feels the franchise still has some important decisions to make.

One of the biggest questions surrounding Delhi is who will lead the team. With Rishabh Pant returning to the squad alongside KL Rahul, the franchise has two strong leadership options.

However, Axar Patel reportedly does not want to take up the captaincy role.

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Pant's return to Delhi comes after an unsuccessful stint as captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Chopra believes he may not be keen to take up the leadership responsibility again, which makes Rahul the leading candidate for the role.

Explaining the uncertainty, Chopra said JioStar's Game Plan, "There are multiple questions, actually. It's an MCQ because who will be the captain? Rishabh Pant has been a captaincy candidate, KL Rahul is an option, and I'm hearing that Axar doesn't want to be the captain. So, with everything going on, you don't even know who will captain the side. It could well be KL Rahul at this stage."

Delhi also made a major trade by sending star spinner Kuldeep Yadav to LSG in exchange for Pant. Chopra feels that if the franchise has brought Pant back, it must ensure that he bats higher up the order.

"And Rishabh Pant, now that you have traded him, must bat in the top four. If you are going to bat him lower than that, then you will not utilise him to his fullest potential. I felt that in that trade, LSG was better off because you couldn't have asked for more than a bowler of Kuldeep's calibre for that pitch," he said.

However, he believes LSG may have benefited more from the deal, particularly because Kuldeep could prove valuable on their home pitch.

Delhi Capitals' Middle Order Looks Strong, But Pace Attack Raises Concerns

While Chopra is satisfied with Delhi's middle-order options, he has concerns about the team's fast-bowling resources.

The franchise has considerable batting depth, with Ashutosh Sharma, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel and David Miller among its options. However, Chopra believes the pace attack remains an area of concern, particularly with questions surrounding the availability of overseas players such as Mitchell Starc.

"Ashutosh, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, plus Axar Patel, and then you've got Miller. So, it's a very decent setup. The problem area for them will be their bowling department. Because Mitchell Starc, will he play? It will be a conversation as to whether he will be available to play or not. They will face an issue with their fast bowling this season and how they plan to address it, I've got no idea," said the former KKR opening batter.

He has also highlighted the contrast between Delhi's expensive fast-bowling signings and their more affordable picks. While the franchise invested heavily in players whose current form or availability remains uncertain, it also managed to secure a few smart bargains.

"Mukesh is at eight crore, Auqib Nabi at Rs 8.4 crore, and then you have Mitchell Starc at nearly 12, so that's a lot of money. Lungi Ngidi was cheap, picked up for Rs 2 crore. He turned out to be a fantastic bargain. Dushmantha Chameera and Kyle Jamieson weren't as expensive either. But the more expensive players might not be available. Their pedigree and current form are still uncertain, and Mukesh Kumar's T20 numbers have actually plummeted a little," he concluded.

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With questions over captaincy, the Pant-Kuldeep trade and the availability of key fast bowlers, Delhi Capitals still have several decisions to settle before the new IPL season.