Kamal Ghorui
Axar Patel has shed light on a unique ‘tradition’ followed by the Indian cricket team during major assignments, while also reiterating his stance against the Impact Player rule ahead of IPL 2026.The Delhi Capitals skipper spoke about how players often visit temples during bilateral tours and ICC events. During the 2026 T20 World Cup, Indian players were seen visiting several temples before matches, and even after lifting the title, captain Suryakumar Yadav, head coach Gautam Gambhir and International Cricket Council chairman Jay Shah visited the Hanuman Temple to seek blessings with the trophy.
Speaking at a Delhi Capitals event on Monday, Axar explained that such visits are largely driven by convenience and security arrangements during tournaments. “Temple visits are not a bad thing. We go to temples where otherwise we wouldn’t be able to go. We have security with us during tournaments,” he said.Alongside this, Axar once again voiced his displeasure with the Impact Player rule, becoming the latest Indian cricketer to question its impact on the game. The rule, introduced in 2023, allows teams to substitute a player from a list of five at any stage of the match and is set to remain in place until at least 2027.Axar’s view aligns with other senior players such as Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, both of whom have previously raised concerns. Rohit had pointed out in 2024 that the rule hampers the development of all-rounders, while Hardik later added that it makes team selection difficult unless a player excels equally with both bat and ball.Explaining his perspective, Axar highlighted how the rule changes team strategies and reduces the need for multi-skilled players. “I don’t like this rule, honestly, because I am an all-rounder. Earlier, you would pick an allrounder for batting and bowling.“But because of this rule, the team management goes for a particular batsman or bowler, thinking ‘Why do we need an allrounder?’ Since I am an allrounder, I don’t like the rule. At the same time, rules are rules and we need to follow them. From a personal point of view though, I don’t like the rule,” he said during a pre-season press conference.Delhi Capitals will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on April 1. Axar had earlier also flagged the issue in 2024, noting that the rule had an impact on his batting position when he was serving as vice-captain.
