Overview
- On Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, former India opener Wasim Jaffer said on his YouTube channel that Pant should decline any Delhi captaincy offer and focus on playing instead.
- Pant has been traded from Lucknow Super Giants back to Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2027 in a swap that saw Kuldeep Yadav move to LSG, a move reported by multiple outlets.
- Pant stepped down as LSG captain after two poor seasons, with Lucknow finishing last in the IPL 2026 table after winning four of 14 matches.
- Jaffer argued captaincy brings pressure from owners, fans and expectations while adding the extra strain of wicketkeeping plus batting, and he compared Pant’s choice to KL Rahul’s decision to give up leadership roles.
- All three outlets say Jaffer wants Pant to rebuild his batting and keeping in the IPL to force a return to India’s T20I and ODI squads, while reports of transfer fees remain of limited independent verification.