Rishabh Pant's Joyful Return to Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel Shares Hilarious Call

Rishabh Pant's return to Delhi Capitals has sparked excitement among fans and teammates alike. After a challenging period with Lucknow Super Giants, where he faced leadership changes and performance struggles, Pant is back where he started his IPL journey. Axar Patel, the current captain, shared a humorous late-night call with Pant, revealing the joy of his comeback. With a promise of a stress-free environment and full autonomy on the field, both players are looking forward to a fresh start. This article delves into the details of Pant's trade, his performance stats, and the implications for the upcoming IPL season.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 24, 2026, 14:44 IST

Rishabh Pant's Return to Delhi Capitals

On June 24, Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Axar Patel shared a humorous exchange he had with Rishabh Pant after the latter's return to the franchise through a trade involving Kuldeep Yadav.

Following two challenging seasons with Lucknow Super Giants, Pant rejoined DC, where he had previously played for nine seasons, for INR 15 crore, which is a 44% reduction from his former salary of INR 27 crore at LSG. Kuldeep Yadav moved to LSG as part of this deal, maintaining his contract worth INR 13.5 crore.

This significant trade between DC and LSG signals a major shift ahead of the upcoming IPL season, concluding Pant's difficult tenure with the Super Giants. His departure was anticipated after management hinted at a leadership change prior to his resignation.

Axar Patel Discusses Pant's Exciting News

Before the official announcement of his return, Rishabh Pant made sure to inform his close friend and captain, Axar Patel, about his comeback to Delhi Capitals.

In a video shared on DC's X account (formerly Twitter), Axar recounted a funny late-night phone call he received from Pant. Although he missed a few calls while attending to his child, when he called back, Pant was overjoyed.

Pant exclaimed, 'Confirm ho gaya bhai, main wapas aa raha hoon' (It's confirmed, brother, I'm coming back), as Axar recalled the conversation.

To illustrate Pant's return, Axar referenced a well-known Hindi saying: 'Subah ka bhula agar shaam ko ghar wapas aa jaye toh use bhula nahi kehte' (If someone who loses their way in the morning returns home by evening, they are not considered lost).

A New Chapter for Delhi Capitals

After Rishabh Pant's departure to LSG, Axar Patel took on the captaincy role, which he embraced wholeheartedly. However, with Pant's return, the team dynamics are set to change significantly.

Axar expressed his support for Pant, assuring him that he would have a stress-free environment and complete freedom on the field. He stated, 'We had a mutual understanding of what he can do in this situation and what he can’t. As a friend and as a captain, I told him he has no extra pressure from me or the franchise.'

He emphasized that Pant's return to DC is a homecoming, saying, 'He will get full freedom as captain from my side. Just enjoy yourself, enjoy your role. Form is temporary, class is permanent. You are a player of that category, and you have full freedom from our side.'

Rishabh Pant's Performance Stats

Rishabh Pant has been a crucial player for Delhi Capitals, scoring 3284 runs, which includes a century and 18 fifties, with an average of 35.31 and a strike rate of 148.93 across 111 matches.

His return to DC comes after a tough stint with Lucknow Super Giants, where he led the team to only 10 victories in 28 matches, accumulating 581 runs.