New Delhi: Delhi Capitals have confirmed that they have no intentions of trading Axar Patel and Ashutosh Sharma ahead of the 2027 Indian Premier League season, with both players set to stay with the franchise. The organization has officially closed its trading window and does not plan to execute any additional player exchanges prior to the upcoming retention deadline.
Recent weeks had seen mounting speculation regarding the pair, with Axar linked to Chennai Super Kings and Ashutosh drawing interest from rival teams. Insiders have verified that neither cricketer will be moving elsewhere, effectively putting an end to the rumors surrounding their potential departures.
Axar experienced a mixed campaign with the bat during the previous season, accumulating 173 runs across 14 appearances at an average of 19.22 and a strike rate of 131.06, while also claiming 11 wickets in 13 innings with an economy rate of 8.18. Ashutosh proved his worth as a dangerous middle-order power-hitter by tallying 171 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 181.91.
Although Axar served as team captain last season, the franchise has since welcomed Rishabh Pant back into its ranks following a trade with Lucknow Super Giants, while KL Rahul remains another viable leadership candidate. Management has not yet finalized its captaincy choice for the 2027 tournament, meaning the decision to retain Axar does not immediately resolve the team's leadership puzzle.
Prior to closing their window, Delhi completed a pair of exchanges, bringing back Pant while sending Kuldeep Yadav to Lucknow, and transferring T Natarajan to Sunrisers Hyderabad in exchange for leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari. All ten franchises face a November 17 deadline to submit their official lists of retained and released players, leaving the Capitals to concentrate fully on finalizing their squad structure and leadership group.