Jaffer Tells Pant to Turn Down Delhi Capitals Captaincy and Focus on Batting

Wasim Jaffer believes Rishabh Pant should say no if Delhi Capitals offer him the captaincy for IPL 2027.

Pant recently finished a two-season spell as Lucknow Super Giants captain. LSG ended IPL 2026 bottom of the table with four wins from 14 matches, and had also missed the playoffs in 2025 after winning six of 14 league games. After his exit, Pant was traded back to Delhi Capitals.

Pressure of the role

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Jaffer said it would be better for Pant to decline, pointing to the pressure from owners and supporters and the need to keep up individual performances while leading. He feels Pant already carries heavy responsibility as wicketkeeper and top-order batter, and cited KL Rahul, who has been able to focus on his own game since stepping away from captaincy.

Form and the India white-ball side

Pant has also dropped out of India’s white-ball setup, so his own form matters. Jaffer thinks he should use the IPL to rediscover consistency and push for a T20I and ODI return, and that it is better for him to play as a player because his performance has dipped.

The former India opener added that captaincy should not be Pant’s priority now, since he is outside India’s leadership group.

Match-winning ability

Jaffer believes Pant at his best can win matches on his own, and said he could win four or five for his team. Giving up the captaincy, he argues, would let Pant focus on batting and keeping, regain confidence and strengthen his case for India’s white-ball teams.