Rishabh Pant, the star Indian wicketkeeper-batter, will not captain the Delhi Capitals in the 2025 IPL season. A report from the Times of India on October 17 suggests that the team is considering a new captain, with all-rounder Axar Patel a potential successor. Pant has been leading the team since 2021.
“Yes, the Delhi Capitals could be looking for a new captain. There are chances that India allrounder Axar Patel may take over as the new captain, or the franchise could be eyeing someone who is captaincy material at the IPL auction (likely to take place overseas in mid-November),” a source was quoted as saying by TOI.
“Pant, though, is set to be the franchise’s top retention. It’s just that the leadership group at DC feels that he’s better off without the pressures of captaincy,” the source added.
Pant has been with Delhi Capitals in the IPL since 2016 and is the franchise’s most capped player, holding the record for the most runs scored for them in the league. He became captain in 2021 after Shreyas Iyer was sidelined due to an injury from a white-ball series against England in March 2022.
In his inaugural season as captain, the Delhi Capitals finished at the top of the points table but did not reach the final, losing both qualifier matches to Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders.
Pant Named DC Captain in 2021 as Top Run Scorer and Most Capped Player
Pant was retained by Delhi Capitals for Rs 16 crore before the IPL 2022 mega auction and captained the team that season, finishing fifth in the points table. He missed the 2023 season due to injuries from a road accident on December 30, 2022. Pant returned as captain for IPL 2024 and was the leading run scorer, but the team again did not qualify for the playoffs.
Reports indicate that Delhi is interested in bringing back Shreyas Iyer if he is released by KKR before the IPL 2025 mega auction. Iyer previously led Delhi to the IPL final in 2020 and won the title with KKR in 2024.
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