The uncertainty over KL Rahul's availability for Delhi Capitals' IPL 2025 opener against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Visakhapatnam continues even though he has joined the team. DC's new captain Axar Patel confirmed that because of "personal" reasons Rahul may or not may play the first game. DC's new head coach Hemang Badani also kept Rahul's batting position in "suspense" and said people will have to "wait and watch" until Monday.
"Obviously, he joined the team," Axar said of Rahul's availability. "We don't know yet [if he'll play]. Right now we don't know if he is available or not."
Axar takes over the DC captaincy from Rishabh Pant, who was bought by LSG, and looking at the high-scoring trends in the IPL since last season, said his team will have to "evolve" to keep up with the changing times. After scoring the highest IPL team total of 287 last season, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) came very close to breaking their own record in the second game of the season when they racked up 286 against Rajasthan Royals while Axar was speaking in Visakhapatnam.
"Nowadays cricket has changed a lot," Axar said. "Mostly IPL is more about batsman's game, fours and sixes. So we have to evolve as a team. At the end of the day, I don't want to complicate things. As captain I told the group that cricket is a game, keep it simple. A good yorker is a good yorker ball and if your execution is good, then you will be fine. So I am not telling them too much that you should go for this and that. I am just asking them to keep it simple, that's my strategy throughout the tournament.
"We learn from the last season, I said that cricket has evolved too much. From the last season we learned that you have to be ahead of the game. You can't be chasing the game. It's not like in the powerplay we have to swing the ball or we have to bowl length balls. We can even start from two-three slower balls. So it's not any particular plan for any batsman. We have to change the plan according to the situation which I learned from the last season."
Axar and Badani both welcomed the two new rules of using the saliva on the ball and the sides bowling second in evening games having the option of changing the ball after the 10th over to try and counter the challenge of dew in the chase. Badani said the rules were in the "right direction" to bring "back the balance between bat and ball".
"The IPL is all about the batsmen nowadays. So if we get something for the bowlers, it's very nice to see," Axar said. "Now we can allow the saliva and if something is there for the bowlers, it's great for the game also and for the bowlers, they can find that reverse swing at the end. Also in most of the venues in the IPL, the dew factor is there. So if after 10th over the fresh ball [option] is there, they are good rules and it's very good for the bowlers. They have something to execute and they might find it easier [to stop the runs]."
DC have never won the IPL in 17 years so far and handed Axar the captaincy over Rahul, who has led India in the past, and Faf du Plessis, who has captained South Africa and still leads in the SA20. Axar hoped to draw experience from them.
"Our mindset is going there to express ourselves, be fearless and we are all ready to give our 100% and the players are also really enjoying the atmosphere here in DC family. We are ready to roll.
"I am very confident about the Delhi Capitals team. I am playing since 2019 for Delhi Capitals and I have grown as a cricketer in this franchise. It's an honour for me to lead this franchisee and there are many leaders in our team. So from them I get that experience and they are there for me. Faf is there, KL is there and many experienced players are there. So we have a good balanced team. And we will change the results this time."