Rishabh Pant has reportedly been removed from captaincy by Delhi Capitals (DC) franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. Pant is a marquee player for the Capitals and could be their first choice for retention.
However, the franchise believes that the wicketkeeper-batter performs better without the weight of captaincy. If Pant is freed of his leadership duties, Axar Patel is the front-runner to succeed him. Axar is DC’s vice-captain, and he has led the squad in Pant’s absence.
Under Rishabh Pant’s leadership, the Capitals played admirably in 2021, although they finished first in the group stage. However, they were unable to qualify for the final after losing both qualifiers.
However, despite multiple close calls, the Delhi Capitals have failed to qualify for the playoffs since then. Pant has not performed poorly under his leadership. He missed the IPL 2023 season owing to a horrible vehicle accident that occurred in December 2022.
Rishabh Pant had a fantastic comeback in the IPL 2024 season, scoring 446 runs in 13 matches at an average of 40.54 and a strike rate of 155.40. However, his exploits were unable to propel the Delhi Capitals to the playoffs, as they ended sixth with seven wins and seven losses.
Axar Patel replaces Rishabh Pant as Delhi Capitals captain.
Meanwhile, as per the Times of India report, The Delhi Capitals are looking for a new captain for the upcoming Indian Premier League season. The source also listed Axar Patel as one of the candidates who could take over Pant’s post.
However, the source said that Pant will remain Delhi’s top retention despite not being granted the captaincy. He also stated that Pant may be a better player if he is not burdened with captaincy.
“Yes, the Delhi Capitals could be looking for a new captain. There are chances that India allrounder Axar Patel may take over as the new IPL captain or the franchise could be eyeing someone who is captaincy material at the IPL auction.
Pant, though, is set to be the franchise’s top retention. It’s just that the leadership group at DC feels that he’s better off without the pressures of captaincy,” the source told the Times of India.
Pant has been the captain of the Delhi Capitals since the 2021 IPL season. The wicketkeeper-batter took up the role from Shreyas Iyer. Iyer excelled as captain, but the franchise chose and invested in the youthful Rishabh Pant.
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