Three IPL 2026 captains are going through a troublesome season as their groups proceed to flounder in considered one of their worst seasons in current reminiscence. Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, and Ajinkya Rahane are all anticipated to lose their captaincy on the finish of the season later this month, in keeping with a PTI report quoting sources monitoring the developments inside the varied franchises.
Of the three sides, Lucknow Tremendous Giants are already out of the playoff race. Each Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals nonetheless have a mathematical likelihood, however each are anticipated to fall wanting the highest 4. The three captains are all of their second straight season with no playoff berth, and groups are shedding their persistence.
Rishabh Pant’s Struggles Put LSG Future in Doubt
Rishabh Pant got here into IPL 2026 as the most costly participant the public sale had ever seen, purchased by LSG for near USD 3 million. The returns have been nowhere near justifying that price ticket.
Pant has scored 251 runs in 11 matches at a strike fee of 138 — underwhelming figures by trendy T20 requirements. He has managed solely 9 sixes throughout these 11 video games, a quantity that displays simply how a lot his pure aggression has dried up. LSG proprietor Sanjiv Goenka is thought to demand performances that match the funding, and two consecutive seasons with no playoff look can be troublesome to miss.
Questions have additionally been raised about workforce choice and techniques underneath Pant’s watch. There was criticism for repeatedly utilizing the likes of Arshin Kulkarni and Ayush Badoni in positions that uncovered their technical limitations. Whether or not these calls got here from Pant or coach Justin Langer stays unclear, however the captain finally carries the load of outcomes.
Axar Patel’s Numbers Inform Their Personal Story at Delhi Capitals
Axar Patel has had a troublesome season each as captain and as a participant. He has scored solely 100 runs throughout 9 innings at a strike fee of 112.50 — 56 of these got here in a single knock, which means his remaining eight innings produced simply 44 runs mixed.
With the ball, Axar has bowled precisely three overs per recreation throughout 12 matches, selecting up 10 wickets at an economic system of 8.08. Whereas the economic system fee isn’t alarming, sources say he has constantly under-bowled himself at essential moments.
Delhi Capitals will see a administration shift subsequent season as JSW takes over cricket operations from GMR of their alternate possession cycle. With Parth Jindal and JSW set to be in cost, there’s a sturdy indication that each the captain and the teaching employees will face a full assessment. Axar’s future as a participant on the franchise seems safer, however his captaincy is much from safe.SUGGESTED READ: Which Groups Can Qualify for IPL 2026 Playoffs? Situations for CSK, RCB, GT & Extra
Rahane’s Appointment at KKR More and more Appears Like a Mistake
Ajinkya Rahane’s appointment as KKR captain was largely a results of the restricted alternate options out there to the franchise. His reference to head coach Abhishek Nayar helped seal the deal, however the outcomes have been telling.
Rahane has scored 237 runs at a strike fee of 133 whereas batting within the high three — numbers which are just too sluggish for the fashionable recreation. His fellow top-order companion Angkrish Raghuvanshi has not helped both, scoring 340 runs at a strike fee of simply over 139. Between the 2 of them, they mixed for under 25 sixes in 11 matches.
At 37, questions are actually being raised overtly about whether or not Rahane can sustain with what T20 cricket calls for on the high degree. Sources counsel that, not like Pant and Axar, who will stay in demand as gamers, Rahane could battle to draw curiosity from any franchise on the subsequent mini-auction except KKR make the unlikely resolution to stick with him.
What Comes Subsequent for These Three Franchises
With the mega auctions scheduled for 2027, all three franchises may have an opportunity to rebuild. No matter occurs with the captaincy, Pant and Axar will most probably proceed as gamers. Each stay useful T20 belongings. Rahane’s future seems far much less sure given his age and chronic strike fee considerations.
A captaincy change alone is not going to clear up the deeper issues at LSG, DC, and KKR, although. Two consecutive poor seasons throughout all three sides level to structural points in squad planning and workforce choice that go nicely past who wears the armband. Modifications are coming — that a lot seems sure. How sweeping these modifications can be is determined by how critically every franchise is keen to confront what went unsuitable this season.
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