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.
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.
“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.