NEW DELHI: Rishabh PantThe return to Delhi Capitals has been one of the biggest things ahead of the new IPL 2027 season, and the DC captain. Axar Patel he has already said that the wicketkeeper batsman will have full freedom when he rejoins the franchise.Pant returned to the Delhi Capitals in a high-profile trade that was completed on Tuesday. The move saw Pant return to his old franchise of Rs 15 crore, where he does not spin Kuldeep Yadav moved to Lucknow Super Giants. Pant joined LSG for a record Rs 27 crore ahead of IPL 2025, but endured two disappointing seasons with the franchise.In a video shared by Delhi Capitals, Axar spoke about his relationship with Pant and insisted that there will be no more pressure on the former DC skipper.“Bas mujhe itna pata hai ki usko full freedom milegi as a captain meri taraf se. Hamara relationship wise bhi captain aur player wala kabhi nahi raha. Jab woh yahan tha, woh mera bhi captain tha aur us waqt woh mujhe lead kar raha tha. Hamare beech kaur kiurbhi a main captain wahi raha aisa nahi. Hum hamesha mutual understanding ke saath kaam karte the (What I know is that he will have complete freedom from my side as captain. Our relationship has never been that of a captain and a player. When he was here, he was leading me then. It was never like that for me to be in charge and he has to do exactly what I say,” said Axar.Axar said both the players understand each other’s roles and responsibilities, having spent several years together in the game.“Usko bhi pata hai ki woh ek senior player hai. Mujhe bhi pata tha ki main ek senior player hoon. Hamare beech hamesha yeh mutual understanding rahi hai ki kisi bhi situation mein woh kya kar sakta hai aur kya nahi kar sakta. (He knew he was a great player, and I knew I had a great player who couldn’t do what he can always do. situation),” he said.Pant is returning to the team where he played 111 matches between 2016 and 2024. He was also the captain of Delhi Capitals from 2021 to 2024 and is still one of the most popular players.Axar believes Delhi is still Pant’s home and said neither he nor the franchise expects anything else from the star batsman.“Aur as a friend and captain, main usko bas itna hi kehna chahunga ki us par koi extra pressure nahi hai. Na meri taraf se aur na hi franchise ki taraf se. Yeh uska ghar hai. Woh yahan pehle bhi khel chuka hai aur kaafi saalon tak khela hai. Delhi uska home hai (And as a friend and captain, I can only tell him that there is no pressure on him. Not from my side and not from the franchise either. This is his home. He has played here and spent many years with this team. Delhi is home,” he said.Pant’s time with Lucknow Super Giants was a difficult one. LSG finished seventh in IPL 2025 before finishing bottom of the table in IPL 2026 under his captaincy. With the bat, Pant scored 269 runs in 2025 and followed it up with 312 runs and a half-century in 2026.Despite this, Axar supported Pant’s character and reminded him that class is not necessary.“To mujhe usko zyada kuch kehne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Bas mujhe itna pata hai ki usko meri taraf se captain ke roop mein poori freedom milegi. Bas khud ko enjoy karo. Tumhara jo natural character aur style hai, usko enjoy karo. Form aur baaki cheezein temporary haiti hoti hati. Aur tum us category ke player ho. Hamari taraf se tumhe poori freedom hai. Bas apna game khelo aur enjoy karo. Yahi mera uske liye message rahega (So I don’t really need to tell him much. All I know is that he will have complete freedom from my side as captain. Just enjoy yourself. Enjoy playing as it comes naturally to you. Appearance and everything else is temporary, but class is permanent. And you are that kind of player. From our side, you have all the rights. Just play your game and have fun. This would be my message to him,” said Axar.
