As much as emotions get involved in the Indian Premier League (IPL), it a business at the end of the day. The franchise owners need success after splashing out an insane amount of money as investments. Naturally, when a franchise doesn’t do well, some hard decisions are bound to be taken, keeping aside emotional notions. Hence, the development of teams possibly thinking to sack Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel and Ajinkya Rahane doesn’t seem shocking.
IPL captaincy on the way
As per the Press Trust of India, the likes of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Delhi Capitals (DC) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are set to part ways from their current captains. IPL 2026 has been a tough ride for all the aforementioned franchises, with them being knocked out or being on the verge of getting out. They are part of the bottom four on the points table alongside the Mumbai Indians (MI). But the MI-Hardik Pandya chapter is different altogether.
“Three IPL captains are in the line of fire due to campaigns that have been nothing short of disastrous and they could end up losing their jobs when the season winds up later this month, sources tracking developments in various franchises have indicated. Axar Patel, Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant have captained for two successive seasons and failed miserably in their bid to take their respective teams into the playoffs,” the PTI report stated.
All three of LSG, DC and KKR never got really in the reckoning. While LSG became the first franchise to get knocked out of the playoff race, Delhi and Kolkata can be considered out as well. Unlike Rahane, Pant and Axar are the highest earners in their respective teams. Naturally, the accountability should/will fall on them. Meanwhile, Rahane, known as a natural leader has failed to inspire KKR, who have had massive injury issues this year.
Time ticking for Pant, Axar?
No one earns more than Rishabh Pant (INR 27 cr) in the IPL. LSG have invested in him heavily. But Pant, the batter and the captain, has failed to show up in two seasons in a row. Scoring 251 runs across 11 games, Pant looks to be repeating last year’s poor form. He has made some questionable captaincy decisions as well. Aiden Markram’s batting slot has been chopped and changed regularly. Ayush Badoni, who is a finisher, even opened for LSG. Meanwhile, Shahbaz Ahmed was heavily underutilised.
“In Pant’s case, it is an open secret in franchise cricket that captaincy doesn’t sit well with him. Pant has tried batting at different positions, but it has often seemed that he is carrying a thousand-ton burden on his shoulders. In a franchise ecosystem where instant results are the norm, failing to qualify for two successive seasons is unlikely to go down well,” the report stated.
Rishabh Pant’s IPL captaincy record
| Player | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | W/L | %W | %L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 68 | 32 | 34 | 2 | 0.94 | 47.05 | 50 |
| At LSG | 25 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 0.600 | 36 | 60 |
Axar, meanwhile, cut a sorry figure every time Delhi loses. His team failed to defend 264 against Punjab before getting bundled out for 75 in the next game. His batting was non-existent until the last DC game. Under Axar, Delhi have used five combinations in their top three. On paper, DC are better than LSG. However, LSG’s game have been far closer than Delhi’s. With the Delhi Capitals running between two co-owners and JSW taking charge next year, the management might not believe in Axar’s capabilities as a captain.
“In 12 games, Axar has bowled only 36 overs, exactly three overs per game, and picked up 10 wickets at an economy rate of 8.08. While the economy rate looks respectable considering the punishment endured by fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav, Axar has often under-bowled himself. With Delhi Capitals having an arrangement of equal owners – JSW and GMR split management responsibilities in alternate cycles – next season will see Parth Jindal and JSW taking charge of cricket operations,” the report added.
| Span | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | W/L | %W | %L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–2026 | 25 | 10 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0.760 | 40 | 52 |
What about KKR’s Ajinkya Rahane?
As mentioned in the report, KKR had no choice but to choose Ajinkya Rahane as their captain. No doubt, Rahane is a superb leader but in T20s, he may not be a wise choice. His addition meant that KKR couldn’t drop him, despite him struggling for form this season (Av 23.70, SR 133.14). The fact that KKR started the campaign with six winless matches hurt them so much. Rahane was adamnt about his form and team’s chances but reality showed different things.
“Rahane’s appointment at KKR was largely a classic TINA (There Is No Alternative) case as the franchise lacked credible leadership options. It also helped that his former Mumbai teammate Abhishek Nayar was at the helm as head coach. However, KKR were hamstrung by the fact that Rahane and Nayar’s protege Angkrish Raghuvanshi could not match the pace demanded from top-order batters in modern T20 cricket,” said the report.
