DC could be looking for a new captain ahead of the IPL 2025 season.
India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will not lead Delhi Capitals in the upcoming 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League, TOI reported.
According to the report, the Capitals could be looking for a new captain, and all-rounder Axar Patel is also in line to succeed Pant, who took over the leadership duties in 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.
Rishabh Pant returned to lead the Capitals in IPL 2024 after missing the 2023 season due to injuries sustained in the horrific car accident. The southpaw scored 446 runs in 13 games at an impressive strike rate of 155 in this year’s IPL. However, his team failed to qualify for the playoffs.
DC last reached the IPL playoffs in IPL 2021, while their best-ever finish in the tournament is when they finished as finalists in 2020 under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy.
One possible option for the franchise in the auction is securing the services of Shreyas again if KKR decide against retaining him.
As per the report, Rishabh Pant recently met with Delhi Capitals' co-owners Parth Jindal and Kiran Kumar Grandhi to discuss his future at the franchise.
Interestingly, Pant’s tweet on October 12 sparked speculation whether the left-hander will be released by his IPL franchise.
However, news agency PTI has reported that DC will opt for three retentions -- skipper Rishabh Pant (INR 18 crore), all-rounder Axar Patel (INR 14 crore) and left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav (INR 11 crore).
Since five retentions would cost INR 75 crore, it is believed that Australia’s Jake-Fraser McGurk, who was the emerging star in this year’s IPL, and South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs, two of their major foreign contributors could be retained with the Right To Match (RTM) option if their price tags are within team's budget.
(With TOI Inputs)