Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Axar Patel has expressed delight over the return of wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant to the franchise following a major trade with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) ahead of the next Indian Premier League (IPL) season. In a video shared by the franchise, Patel assured Pant of complete freedom on the field, emphasizing their long-standing friendship and mutual understanding.
Pant traded back to Delhi Capitals
In one of the most significant player trades in recent IPL history, LSG captain Rishabh Pant has been traded to Delhi Capitals, while DC spinner Kuldeep Yadav moves to Lucknow. Pant's IPL salary will see a significant reduction after he was traded to the Capitals at a revised fee of Rs 15 crore. Kuldeep, on the other hand, will continue at his existing fee of Rs 13.50 crore after joining the Lucknow-based franchise.
Patel welcomes Pant as a friend and captain
"When he was here before, he was my captain, and he was leading me. At that time, we didn't have anything like 'I am the captain, I will tell you this and that'. We used to work in mutual understanding. He knows that he is a senior player, and I know that I am a senior player. We had a mutual understanding of what he can do best in a particular situation and what he can't," Patel said in the video.
He further added, "As a friend and as a captain, I will tell him that he knows that he doesn't have any extra pressure from me or from the franchise. This is his own house; he has played here for many years. Delhi is his home, so I don't have to say much to him. I just know that he will get full freedom as a captain from my side."
Patel's message to Pant: 'Form is temporary, class is permanent'
Concluding his message, Patel said, "Just enjoy yourself. Enjoy your character. Form is temporary, class is permanent. You are a player of that category. You have full freedom from our side. Just play your game and enjoy. This will be the message for him."
Pant's IPL journey and recent struggles
Pant started his IPL career with Delhi Capitals (then Delhi Daredevils) in 2016. He had represented DC in eight IPL seasons before moving to LSG in 2025 after a record bid of Rs 27 crore in the auction. He struggled to justify his price tag over the past two seasons with the franchise, as he managed only three fifty-plus scores in 28 innings, which included one century and two half-centuries. In IPL 2025, he scored 269 runs at an average of 24.45 and a strike rate of 133.16.
