# Jaffer advises Pant to decline Delhi Capitals captaincy 2026-08-22T16:30:48+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has advised Rishabh Pant to stay away from captaincy after his return to Delhi Capitals, saying the wicketkeeper-batter should focus on improving his batting form. Pant was traded back to Delhi from Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 27 crore after two seasons, during which he also led LSG. Jaffer said on his YouTube channel that if Delhi offers Pant the captaincy, he should refuse because his performance has dipped. He added that Pant needs to prioritise scoring runs and fight for his place in India's white-ball teams. Jaffer backed KL Rahul, who also moved from Lucknow to Delhi, as a candidate for the captaincy role. Pant's return to Delhi raises a key question: whether he will take up leadership again or concentrate fully on regaining his batting form. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Pant's returns in the last two IPL seasons dropped below his earlier standards, and his T20I spot is no longer automatic. The last time Pant focused purely on batting without captaincy was in 2020-21, when he scored two centuries in Australia. KL Rahul has led Punjab Kings and Lucknow, and his Test vice-captaincy gives him an edge. Delhi's auction purse and retention strategy will shape who gets the armband. The next date to watch is the IPL 2025 retention deadline, likely in November, which will confirm the squad and leadership plan. ## Coverage - m9.news Leads with a dramatic question and frames Pant's return as a 'complicated' issue, prioritising speculation over news. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Delhi Capitals, IPL 2025, KL Rahul, Lucknow Super Giants, Rishabh Pant, Wasim Jaffer Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/jaffer-advises-pant-to-decline-delhi-capitals-captaincy/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/jaffer-advises-pant-to-decline-delhi-capitals-captaincy/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/