After two dismal seasons, Rishabh Pant stood down as captain of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). LSG finished last in the points table in IPL 2026 with four wins in 14 games, whereas Rishabh Pant led the club to six victories in 14 games in his rookie season in 2025, although the franchise did not make the playoffs.
The left-hander’s leadership reign came to an end in May, when the team confirmed his departure. They traded for Kuldeep Yadav, moving the wicketkeeper-batsman to the Delhi Capitals.
Wasim Jaffer, a former India opener, has chimed in on Pant’s future leadership chances. Jaffer suggested that if the Delhi Capitals offer Pant the captaincy, the wicketkeeper-batsman should decline and focus solely on his success as a player.
Jaffer emphasised the several responsibilities put on an IPL captain. The former opener stated that captaincy comes with pressure from club owners, fan expectations, and the necessity to sustain personal performance at the same time. For a player like Pant, who is also responsible for wicketkeeping and batting, captaincy would add another layer of responsibility, perhaps affecting his overall contribution to the team.
Rishabh Pant has lost his place in India’s white-ball teams, and Jaffer says the priority should be to recapture that form. The former opener emphasised that Pant’s immediate objective should be to perform well in the IPL and reintegrate into the T20 and One Day International teams.
Rishabh Pant Path to Regaining White-ball Form
Jaffer drew parallels with KL Rahul, who retired from captaincy and has been enjoying his time as a player without the added obligations. The former opener urged that Pant take a similar approach and focus on his individual performance rather than leadership responsibilities.
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