Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel is drawing heavy criticism for his batting form in the IPL 2026, even as he has continued to contribute with the ball and in international cricket. In the current season, Axar has taken 10 wickets in 11 matches, but his batting returns have been far from convincing: he has made just 44 runs at an average of 6.29, striking at 74.58. The concern intensified after his slow outing against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday, when former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara labelled his approach “conservative”.
Axar’s struggle with the bat vs KKR
Delhi were in a difficult position when Axar walked in. The side had slipped to 85 for 4 in 10.1 overs under tough batting conditions. Instead of accelerating, Axar struggled to get going and ended his stay with only 11 runs off 22 balls. He also failed to find the boundary even once, finishing with a strike rate of 50 in the knock.
Cheteshwar Pujara questions the mindset
Pujara believes Axar’s batting plan doesn’t match the kind of player he is expected to be. In his view, Axar should take a more aggressive stance rather than trying to “settle in” at the crease. The former India batter argued that an attacking approach would ease pressure on the batter and force discomfort on the bowling side.
- Pujara said Axar’s batting, when viewed on its own, appears “a bit conservative”.
- He stressed that Axar is an attacking player and should bat in that style.
- Pujara argued that even if Axar gets out, it should not be treated as a major problem, as the attacking intent can create pressure for the opposition.
- He compared Axar to Sunil Narine, saying that when Narine comes in, bowlers are already under pressure.
- Pujara added that Axar’s role should not be to spend time settling, but to come in and play his shots immediately.
- He concluded that if Axar plays his shots, the bowlers are the ones who get pushed back, rather than the batter carrying pressure.
Pujara delivered the comments on Star Sports.
KKR’s spin control and Allen’s finishing burst
While Axar’s batting drew scrutiny, the bigger storyline from Friday’s match was Kolkata’s ability to choke Delhi with spin before Finn Allen turned the chase into a one-sided affair. KKR’s spinners tightened the contest and limited Delhi Capitals to 142 for 8, despite a lively 29-ball half-century from Pathum Nissanka.
- Anukul Roy produced figures of 2/31 to slow down Delhi’s momentum.
- Sunil Narine returned 1/17 and kept the run-rate under control.
- Varun Chakravarthy finished with 0/28 as Delhi’s batting line-up struggled to build partnerships.
After that, the match swung decisively when impact substitute Finn Allen delivered an explosive batting display at the top of the order. The Kiwi struck an extraordinary 10 sixes and five fours in an unbeaten 47-ball 100, guiding KKR to chase down the target in 14.2 overs for an eight-wicket win.
Context: Axar’s batting last season
Axar’s current batting form stands in contrast to his production from the previous season. Last term, he scored 263 runs in 12 matches for Delhi Capitals, averaging 26.30 and posting a strike rate of 157.49.
