The Delhi Capitals, led by David Warner, have had a dismal start to the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, having won only two of their eight games. However, amid the team’s struggles, Axar Patel, the Indian all-rounder, has been the one consistent performer for Delhi.

Axar, who had an impressive showing in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, has carried his good form into the ongoing IPL. In eight games, he has scored 211 runs and taken seven wickets, making him one of Delhi’s best performers. Despite this, many experts have questioned Axar’s batting position, suggesting that he should be given more overs to bat.

In response to these queries, Delhi Capitals’ assistant coach Pravin Amre defended the decision to hold Axar back in the batting order. He stated that they need the all-rounder as a finisher for the side, saying, “Axar has the ability to finish the game. We need someone to play the finisher’s role. He has struck the highest number of sixes for us this season. Therefore, we have to hold him back sometimes so that he can play the finisher’s role in the batting order.”

Looking ahead to their next game against the defending champions Gujarat Titans, Amre acknowledged that it would be a challenging match for the struggling Delhi Capitals. He said, “It’s going to be challenging for us to play against Gujarat. But you never know what can happen in the IPL. We have to stay in the present and focus on taking the two points in our next game. Our middle order has to bat better, and we’ll look to improve our batting in the death overs.”

As the Delhi Capitals prepare to face the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, they will be hoping that Axar Patel can continue his excellent form and help the team turn their fortunes around.