Rishabh Pant’s return to Delhi Capitals has already sparked debate over the franchise’s captaincy plans, but former India opener Wasim Jaffer believes the wicketkeeper-batter should stay away from the leadership role if it is offered to him.Pant made a high-profile return to DC following the 2026 IPL season after the franchise agreed a trade with Lucknow Super Giants. The 28-year-old was valued at Rs 15 crore in the deal, taking a Rs 12 crore pay cut from his previous LSG salary, while left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved to Lucknow for Rs 13.50 crore.Pant had led LSG for two seasons, but the results were disappointing. The franchise finished seventh in 2025 and last in 2026.Jaffer feels Pant’s immediate priority should be rebuilding his form rather than taking on the added responsibility of captaining DC.“If Delhi Capitals even offer him the captaincy, I think it is better for him to say no. I think it is better for him to play as a player because his performance has come down,” Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.Pant’s return to DC comes after a season in which questions were also raised over Axar Patel’s captaincy. DC finished sixth in IPL 2026 with seven wins from 14 matches and missed the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season.Jaffer believes Pant should instead concentrate on making himself a regular part of India’s white-ball plans.“I feel Rishabh’s priority will likely be to perform well in the IPL and make his way back into the T20I and ODI teams. Captaincy won’t be his priority because he is not currently in India’s leadership group where he could become the captain,” he said.“I think he needs to keep that aside and focus on performing as a batter, winning matches for his franchise as a batsman. I think that is what is best for Rishabh Pant,” Jaffer added.The former opener suggested KL Rahul could be a better option if DC decide to make a change at the top.“The way KL has done it, he is enjoying his time as a player. There is a lot of pressure when you have to lead a franchise, the pressure from the owners, the expectations, the pressure from the fans, plus you have to focus on your own performance. On top of that, he (Pant) is also a wicketkeeper and has to bat,” Jaffer explained.DC, under new coach Sourav Ganguly, now face a potentially tricky call over their leadership. Axar’s position could come under scrutiny after an underwhelming campaign, while Rahul is an obvious alternative. However, DC could find it difficult to identify another strong captaincy candidate at this year’s mini-auction.
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