While Rishabh Pant has made a comeback to the Delhi Capitals, the franchise skipper Axar Patel has confirmed that he will remain the captain for the upcoming 2027 season of the Indian Premier League. Axar has also added that he will be allowing full freedom to Pant to express himself with his cricket in the Delhi-based franchise.
Axar was appointed the captain of the Delhi-based franchise when Pant parted ways with the side for a contract with the Lucknow Super Giants for INR 27.00 crore, making him the most expensive buy ever. However, LSG has traded Pant back to the neighbouring side for INR 15 crore, getting Kuldeep Yadav in return at a retention price of INR 13.25 crore. Axar says there will not be any differences between the two.
“Between us there has never been any difference as a friend or as a captain. Basically, when he was at DC, he was my captain and he was leading me. At that time also, there was no wall between us that I am the captain and you have to do as I say,” Axar said in a video posted by DC on their official social media handle.
“We worked under mutual understanding, and we both are senior players, so we both knew what each of us could be in the given situation. As a friend and as a captain, I will tell him that he knows his stuff and he has no extra pressure from me or the franchise. This is his house, and he has played here for quite a few years. Delhi is his home. I don’t have to say a lot to him. Just that he will get full freedom from me as a captain,” he added.
Check video of Axar’s message for Pant below
Furthermore, the Gujarat-born cricketer also expressed his heartfelt arrival to the Haridwar-born, marking a joyous comeback to the side ahead of the upcoming season. He also addressed that Pant will overcome his bad form with a strong comeback.
“Just enjoy yourself and be true to your character. Form is temporary and class is permanent, and you are a player of that category. From us, you will have full freedom. So just play your game and enjoy it. So this is my message to you,” the all-rounder, who has been DC’s captain since 2025, conveyed further.
Meanwhile, there are going to be a plethora of changes at DC, barring captaincy. Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh, the legendary India duo, will be joining forces as head of cricket and coach, respectively. Hemang Badani, as a result, has been reported to be vacating his spot as the head coach, while there are also rumours suggesting the fate of KL Rahul, another stumper-batter, in the franchise after Pant’s return.
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