On Rishabh Pant’s return to Delhi, captain Akshar Patel said, ‘You have to do whatever I say’

New Delhi: Rishabh Pant has ‘returned home’ to Delhi Capitals. He has returned to DC again after captaining Lucknow Super Giants for two seasons. In a high-profile trade, Delhi traded spinner Kuldeep Yadav to LSG and got Pant back in return. Pant has returned to Delhi for Rs 15 crore, while LSG bought him for Rs 27 crore in the 2025 auction. This was the biggest bid in IPL history. Kuldeep moved to Lucknow for the current fee of Rs 13.50 crore. Delhi captain Akshar Patel has given a powerful message on Pant’s return.

‘Our relationship has never been that of a captain and a player’  

Delhi captain Akshar Patel said in the video shared by DC on Wednesday that as a captain, I just know that he will get complete freedom. Our relationship was never that of a captain and a player anyway. When he was here, my captain was also there. He used to lead me. There was never a feeling between us that I am the captain and you have to do whatever I say. We always worked with mutual understanding. He also knows that he is a senior player. I also know that I am a senior. There has always been a mutual understanding between us as to what he can and cannot do in any given situation.

.@RishabhPant17Bapu has a message for you📨💙 pic.twitter.com/hHJ5DpFnIz

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) June 24, 2026

‘Delhi is your home, just enjoy’  

Akshar further said that as a friend and as a captain, I would just like to tell him that there is no extra pressure on him from me or the franchise. Delhi is his home. He has played from Delhi for many years. I don’t need to tell him much. He will get complete freedom from my side. Just enjoy. Enjoy your natural character and style. Form is temporary, but class is permanent. And you are a player of that category. You have full freedom from our side. Just play your game and enjoy.

How was Pant’s journey in LSG?  

Let us tell you that Pant played 111 matches for DC between 2016 and 2024. He was also the captain of the team from 2021 to 2024 and led Delhi in 43 matches. His performance with LSG was not as per expectations in both captaincy and batting. In IPL 2025, the team finished seventh with six wins and eight losses. IPL 2026 was worse. Under Pant’s captaincy, Lucknow remained at the bottom in the 10-team league. The team got only four wins in 14 matches. Pant was also seen struggling with the bat. In 2025, he scored 269 runs in 14 matches and added 312 runs in 2026.