In what has become a season to forget for Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel, the all-rounder's batting struggles reached a new low during Friday's clash against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Axar has now etched his name into IPL history for all the wrong reasons, recording the second-worst batting average by a captain in a single season.

With just 44 runs from 11 matches at a meager average of 6.28, Axar finds himself in exclusive company—only behind the legendary Shane Warne, who averaged 2.00 in IPL 2010. To put this in perspective, even Eoin Morgan's challenging 2021 season (11.08 average) looks robust by comparison. The list of captains who have struggled includes Harbhajan Singh (12.00 in 2012) and R Ashwin (12.75 in 2018), but Axar's numbers have dipped to alarming lows.

Adding to the concern, the Delhi skipper also holds the unwanted distinction of the lowest strike-rate in IPL 2026 among batters who have faced at least 50 balls. His strike-rate of 74.57 stands in stark contrast to a season defined by explosive batting, raising questions about his form and confidence at the crease.

The match itself unfolded as a familiar tale of Delhi's batting fragility. While Pathum Nissanka played a composed knock of fifty and KL Rahul contributed 23 at the top, the middle order crumbled under the relentless pressure of KKR's spin attack. The trio of Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, and Varun Chakaravarthy wove a web of control during the middle overs, drying up boundaries and forcing risky strokes.

Narine struck early upon returning to the attack, removing Sameer Rizvi, while Roy delivered the decisive blows—dismissing Nissanka immediately after his fifty and trapping Tristan Stubbs in the same over. Delhi lost four wickets in the middle overs as KKR's spinners tightened their grip. Without Ashutosh Sharma's late counterattack of 39 off 28 balls, the hosts might have struggled to cross even the 100-run mark.

For Delhi Capitals, Axar's prolonged batting slump has emerged as a pressing concern in an increasingly difficult campaign. As the season progresses, the captain's form with the bat will be critical to any hopes of a turnaround.