Hemang Badani Endorses Axar Patel as Delhi Capitals' Captain for IPL 2026
Confidence in Axar Patel's Leadership
On Monday, Hemang Badani, the head coach of Delhi Capitals (DC), expressed his unwavering support for Axar Patel as the team's captain for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. He emphasized the significance of stability and familiarity in leadership roles, especially given the franchise's history of frequent changes. Badani stated, "I can't comment on past events as I wasn't part of that environment. My involvement began last year. As Veenu (Venugopal Rao) pointed out, we needed someone who has been with us, understands the fans, the ground, and the management. It was clear to us that Axar was the right choice, and we decided to continue with him. I believe we had a very successful season."
The Ideal Leader for the Team
Badani further remarked, "Axar has been part of the team for a long time and is a true Delhiite, making him the perfect candidate to lead us. He will continue as our captain for the upcoming season."
IPL 2026 Schedule and Previous Season's Results
In the previous season, the Delhi Capitals finished fifth in the points table, failing to qualify for the playoffs. With the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announcing the first phase of the IPL 2026 schedule, the Capitals will kick off their campaign against Lucknow Super Giants on April 1. Their subsequent matches include a face-off against Mumbai Indians on April 4, followed by games against Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings on April 8 and April 11, respectively.
BCCI Monitoring Regional Issues
When questioned about the Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to hold PSL 2026 without spectators due to the ongoing crisis in West Asia, Badani mentioned that the BCCI is closely monitoring the situation.
Delhi Capitals Squad for IPL 2026
The Delhi Capitals squad for IPL 2026 includes: Nitish Rana, Abishek Porel, Ajay Mandal, Ashutosh Sharma, Axar Patel, Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Madhav Tiwari, Mitchell Starc, Sameer Rizvi, T Natarajan, Tripurana Vijay, Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, David Miller, Ben Duckett, Auqib Nabi, Pathum Nissanka, Lungi Ngidi, Sahil Parakh, Prithvi Shaw, and Kyle Jamieson.