Axar Patel Challenges Captaincy Bias: Skills Over English Fluency

Does a Captain Need English Fluency or Media Persona? Axar Patel Explains True Leadership

India all‑rounder Axar Patel has hit out at deep‑seated perceptions concerning leadership in cricket and specifically the belief that fluent English or a “polished personality” is a requisite for captaincy.

Ahead of India’s first Test against South Africa, he called out the bias directly: “Arre! Captain's work is not just to talk. Captain's work is to know the player and see how to get the best out of him - what's his strength, what's his weakness.

Captain knows that I have this player and what I need to do to get work out of him,” he remarked.

Captaincy Beyond Language: Skills Over English Fluency

Axar Patel, who led the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2025 season in the absence of Rishabh Pant, made it very clear that real captaincy is a lot more about reading the game and managing personalities instead of simply delivering soundbites in English

He says that it's "a perception made by the public based on their own thinking," not a reflection of what the dressing room actually values. "It's important that people have to change their personal thinking.

Stop thinking 'oh, his personality is good, he can speak English, so he is captain material'. One thing about captaincy is there should be no language barrier."

Patel also spoke about how social media and the visuals of image‑making amplify these biases. “It’s all about what you see and what the media is showing. How active are you on social media? How do you talk?

People judge you on all that… Everyone likes to give opinions these days, he is capable, he is not capable, make him captain, don’t make him captain.”

Instinct-Driven Leadership: Winning First, Fun Comes Later

He reflected on his style of leadership thus: “I want to keep the team environment friendly and lively, but no one should take things for granted… There’s a line - what needs to be done to win the game needs to be done first. Then we should have fun.”

He described himself as backing his instincts rather than relying on a pre‑written leadership handbook. “I am not too experienced [as a captain], but it’s not like I am turning to other people for help… I back myself for the decisions I am making. Because you need to know what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong.”

Does Team Performance Matter More Than Media Image?

AxarPatel has challenged the perception that outward communication or a media-friendly image was something that needed to define a captain. For him, the actual test is in reading people, understanding strengths and weaknesses, and delivering performance, not merely delivering speeches.