Rishabh Pant advised to ‘say no to Delhi Capitals captaincy’ if offered: ‘His performance has come down’

Rishabh Pant urged to focus on his batting and say no to Delhi Capitals captaincy.

Updated on: Aug 22, 2026, 21:03:52 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Rishabh Pant's return to the Delhi Capitals has immediately opened up a major question for the franchise ahead of IPL 2027: who should lead the side? While Pant's previous association with DC makes him an obvious candidate, former India opener Wasim Jaffer believes that the wicketkeeper-batter should turn down the captaincy if it comes his way. Pant returned to Delhi following the conclusion of IPL 2026 after DC and Lucknow Super Giants completed a high-profile trade.

Rishabh Pant urged to focus on his batting (AFP)

The India star, who had joined LSG for a record INR 27 crore at the 2025 auction, will now represent the Delhi franchise at a revised fee of INR 15 crore. In the same deal, left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved from Delhi to Lucknow for INR 13.50 crore.

Jaffer believes another leadership assignment could add unnecessary pressure to Pant at a time when the batter should be concentrating on rediscovering his best form.

Also Read: Rishabh Pant rocks 149-year Test history, becomes fastest to 100 sixes and first Asian to reach stunning landmark

"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 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," he added.

‘Keep captaincy aside’

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Jaffer advised Pant to decline the DC captaincy if the franchise offers it to him. The former opener argued that Pant would benefit more from concentrating solely on his performances rather than balancing batting, wicketkeeping and leadership responsibilities.

"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.

"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," he added.

The captaincy debate comes after another disappointing IPL campaign for the Delhi Capitals. Axar Patel led DC during IPL 2026, but the franchise finished sixth with seven victories from 14 league matches and once again missed the playoffs.

Speaking of Pant, his two-year stint at Lucknow did not go according to plan. LSG finished seventh in IPL 2025 before ending the 2026 campaign in 10th place. Pant's own returns also came under increasing scrutiny, with his batting performances failing to match the expectations surrounding the record price tag.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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