IPL 2026: ‘He should be careful not to be over relaxed’ - Cheteshwar Pujara on Delhi Capitals skipper

Former Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara has advised Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel to be mindful of not being too casual with his demeanor and body language during the IPL 2026 season. The allrounder was appointed captain of the franchise last season and led the team to a fifth-place finish.

Axar is well known for his easy-going demeanor, which he has incorporated into his leadership style. The Capitals had a dream start under his captaincy, winning their first four games, but then endured a five-match winless streak that ultimately cost them a place in the playoffs. Pujara emphasised that there is a fine line between maintaining a relaxed approach to ward off pressure and being overly casual, which can risk losing valuable team momentum.

"Axar Patel is quite calm, he does not take too much pressure. His personality is really good, especially for the IPL where there is a lot of pressure. He backs his players, but he should be careful of not being over-relaxed. He should not be extra casual, and let momentum slip and go away from you. DC had momentum last year, but they let go of that. He has to be careful of that this season," Pujara said on Star Sports.

Axar had a challenging season with the ball in IPL 2025, claiming just five wickets at an average of 57.60 and an economy rate of 8.47. Mohammad Kaif believes that, given Axar’s ability to bowl in the powerplay and his recent form, he should perform much better with the ball in IPL 2026.

"Axar Patel can bowl with the new ball in the powerplay, but last year the problem was that he got only a few wickets because he did not have runs to defend. He will bowl with the new ball this time as well, then there is Kuldeep and Vipraj Nigam as well, so I am not concerned about that. The last season was not that great, but he will make a strong comeback this year," Kaif said.