Before the IPL 2027, there was a lot of excitement about Rishabh Pant’s comeback to the Delhi Capitals. Rishabh Pant has been publicly persuaded by former India batsman Wasim Jaffer to decline the Delhi Capitals captaincy before IPL 2027.
Jaffer claims that Pant’s energy would be better used rebuilding his batting than taking on leadership responsibilities due to a decline in form. He believes that Rishabh Pant should respectfully decline the Delhi Capitals’ offer of captaincy. Instead, the wicketkeeper-batsman should focus on regaining his batting form and attempting to rejoin India’s T20 and ODI sides.
After an IPL 2026 trade was finalised, Pant returned to the Delhi Capitals. He was brought back to Delhi for INR 15 crore after moving to the Lucknow Super Giants for INR 27 crore at the 2025 mega auction, the highest price paid for any player at that sale. Kuldeep Yadav made the opposite move under the same arrangement, moving to Lucknow for INR 13.50 crore.
On his YouTube channel, Jaffer said, “If Delhi Capitals even offer him the captaincy, I think it is better for him to say no. I think it is better for him to play as a player because his performance has come down.”
Wasim Jaffer outlined his argument on his YouTube channel. He claimed that a player faces intense pressure from team owners, high expectations from supporters, and the additional burden of controlling his own performance when he takes on the role of captain of a team.
He used KL Rahul as an example, who is now more content with his cricket career as a player after stepping down as captain. According to Wasim Jaffer, Rishabh Pant already has a lot on his plate because he must bat and take wickets; becoming captain will simply make things more difficult.
He further adds, “There is a lot of pressure when you have to lead a franchise, the pressure from the owners, the expectations, the pressure from the fans, plus you have to focus on your own performance. On top of that, he is also a wicketkeeper and has to bat. I think he needs to keep that aside and focus on performing as a batter, winning matches for his franchise as a batsman. I think that is what is best for Rishabh Pant. I feel Rishabh’s priority will likely be to perform well in the IPL and make his way back into the T20I and ODI teams. Captaincy won’t be his priority because he is not currently in India’s leadership group, where he could become the captain,”
Axar Patel captained the Delhi Capitals in the 2026 Indian Premier League. However, Axar and the team did not do well. With just seven victories in fourteen games, DC finished in sixth place.
