Heavy eyes now watch how leaders act, as several IPL sides brace for quiet reckonings post a lackluster 2026 run. Under particular observation: Axar Patel, Rishabh Pant, Ajinkya Rahane – each failed to steer their squads toward postseason battles
Lucknow Super Giants have been knocked out, putting Pant in the frame once more following a quiet run as skipper. Not that it matters much now, yet Kolkata Knight Riders along with Delhi Capitals cling to slim hopes – both probably too far behind to make finals, which only deepens doubts about who’s really steering things on their teams
Delhi’s worries aren’t just about wins. When it comes to performance, Axar hasn’t hit the marks set at the start. Hitting near the front of the order didn’t lead to big scores – just a hundred runs spread over nine turns with the bat. His role with the ball? That too raised questions. Though he kept things tight, giving away eight runs per over on average, he was used sparingly. In twelve games, only thirty-six overs came from him. Ten wickets show some impact, yet the workload felt lighter than expected.
Inside the team, how things are organized might shape what happens later. When control of the cricket side returns to JSW next year, part of a shared deal with GMR, new leaders may step in.
“With Axar completely failing to prove his leadership worth and mostly being dependent on Hemang Badani and Venugopal Rao for decision-making, it will be a miracle if he retains captaincy next year. The entire coaching staff is also unlikely to be retained,” an IPL source tracking developments told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Pant’s path ahead hangs in the balance, questions swirling around his next steps. Meanwhile, Rahane faces similar doubts, both caught in a moment of uncertainty
Pant’s outing in Lucknow? It’s stirred some sharp words. Even though he’s seen as a top name in India’s limited-overs scene, the wicketkeeper-batsman hasn’t found smooth timing lately. Just 251 runs, struck at 138, along with a mere nine maximums through 11 games – this stretch feels off. Not loud, just quiet in all the wrong ways.
Questions came up about how players were grouped within the LSG structure, particularly when it came to who batted when and why certain names kept showing up in central positions. Though not always clear, patterns emerged that made fans pause and look closer at choices being made behind the scenes.
Inside Kolkata Knight Riders, picking Rahane felt more like filling a gap than building a future, simply because few seasoned options were left. Still, unease lingered all year about how slowly runs came at the start of innings. Not fast enough – Rahane alongside Angkrish Raghuvanshi managed decent numbers, yet rarely matched the urgency today’s T20 game requires. Speed stayed an issue even when both batters reached double digits.
Should Axar and Pant keep performing, they’ll likely stay key pieces going ahead. Yet Rahane’s place in the coming IPL seasons feels shaky now that teams are weighing their options for upcoming squads.
