Wasim Jaffer has shared his views on the captaincy situation at several IPL franchises after a disappointing 2026 season for many of them, beginning with Kolkata Knight Riders.
KKR: stick with Rahane
KKR finished seventh despite a late push. Under Ajinkya Rahane they have ended eighth and seventh in the last two seasons, prompting questions over their long-term direction. Jaffer still backed Rahane to stay on, saying on his YouTube channel that he sees no better contender. Rinku Singh has not captained much, and Jaffer does not want the batter to suffer. He also felt Rahane had not made tactical blunders, and that Rinku’s batting could be hurt by leadership duties at this stage.
Delhi and Mumbai
Jaffer would also retain Axar Patel as Delhi Capitals captain. He said Axar has not done badly, that his batting came good a little late, and that the real talking points were selection decisions, such as the chances given to Nissanka.
On Mumbai Indians, who finished ninth, he suggested keeping Hardik Pandya as a player but taking the captaincy away, so that he can open up and play his natural game.
LSG and Pant
Regarding Rishabh Pant, the league’s most expensive player, Jaffer proposed that Lucknow Super Giants consider releasing him into the auction and trying to buy him back at a lower price.
