Rishabh Pant was at the centre of a massive trade move after the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, leaving Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and rejoining his old team Delhi Capitals (DC). Pant took a pay cut of Rs 12 crore, signing for DC for a salary of Rs 15 crore. During IPL 2026, question marks were raised over Axar Patel’s position as DC captain. However, former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer advised Rishabh Pant to reject any offer of captaincy made towards him.
Pant’s two seasons as captain at LSG did not go to plan, as the team finished seventh and last respectively in 2025 and 2026.
“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,” Jaffer said on Pant, speaking on his YouTube channel.
“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.
“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,” Jaffer added.
The former India opener then pinpointed KL Rahul as an ideal captaincy option for Delhi Capitals, who have not qualified for the IPL playoffs in the last five seasons.
“The way KL has done it, he is enjoying his time as a player. 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 (Pant) is also a wicketkeeper and has to bat,” Jaffer explained.
Delhi Capitals’ trade move for Pant saw left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav go the other way and join LSG.
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