KL Rahul, Axar Patel will lead Delhi Capitals: Parth Jindal

KL Rahul and Axar Patel will lead Delhi Capitals in the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League, said DC co-owner Parth Jindal. The franchise bought KL Rahul for a sum of Rs 14 crore in the IPL auction on Sunday, November 24. DC beat bids from KKR, RCB and CSK to buy the player.
Speaking via an official press release, Jindal said that both players will guide the junior members of the team and will be expected to captain the side next season. The franchise signed 9 players on Day 1 of the IPL mega auction buying superstars like Mitchell Starc, Harry Brook and KL Rahul. The team also activated the Right To Match (RTM) card for Jake Fraser-McGurk at Rs 9 crore.

“We were looking for stability in the top order, someone with experience who can build the innings. And, I think KL Rahul, given his record in the IPL, he’s someone who’s consistently given more than 400 runs every season. I think with the Kotla wicket, it is going to suit his game. We’re very excited to have him,” Parth Jindal said after the auction.
IPL mega auction Day 1 Highlights | Full Coverage
“We have a very young batting lineup. Both KL and Axar are going to lead them and are going to guide them. KL’s batting and experience will be a vital cog in the wheel,” he further explained.
Full list of sold and unsold players on Day 1 of IPL auction 2025
Englishman Harry Brook was snapped up for Rs 6.25 crore, while Indian players T Natarajan and Karun Nair were acquired for Rs 10.75 crore and Rs 50 lakh, respectively, in the latter half of the day.
Delhi Capitals also acquired the services of domestic players Sameer Rizvi (Rs 95 lakh) and Ashutosh Sharma (Rs 3.80 crore) respectively along with experienced pacer Mohit Sharma (Rs 2.20 crore).
Jindal confirmed that DC will hunt for more bowlers on Day 2 of the IPL auction. Several Indian players like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mukesh Kumar are available in the auction pool.
“We just went for the best available talent. We’re looking for a couple more bowlers tomorrow. I think the bowling attack will be very strong. Batting is also strong. Overall, it’s going to be a very competitive squad,” Jindal said.
1. Mitchell Starc (Australia) – Bowler – Rs 11.75 crore
2. KL Rahul (India) – WK-Batter – Rs. 14 crore
3. Jake Fraser-McGurk (Australia) – Batter – Rs. 9 crore (RTM)
4. Harry Brook (England) – Batter – Rs. 6.25 crore
5. T Natarajan (India) – Bowler – Rs. 10.75 crore
6. Karun Nair (India) – Batter – Rs. 50 lakh
7. Sameer Rizvi (India) – Allrounder-Rs 95 lakh
8. Ashutosh Sharma (India) – Allrounder – Rs 3.80 crore
9. Mohit Sharma (India) – Bowler – Rs 2.20 crore