Three IPL 2026 captains are facing a difficult season as their teams continue to flounder in one of their worst seasons in recent memory. Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, and Ajinkya Rahane are all expected to lose their captaincy at the end of the season later this month, according to a PTI report quoting sources tracking the developments within the various franchises.
Of the three sides, Lucknow Super Giants are already out of the playoff race. Both Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals still have a mathematical chance, but both are expected to fall short of the top four. The three captains are all in their second straight season without a playoff berth, and teams are losing their patience.
Rishabh Pant’s Struggles Put LSG Future in Doubt
Rishabh Pant came into IPL 2026 as the most expensive player the auction had ever seen, bought by LSG for close to USD 3 million. The returns have been nowhere close to justifying that price tag.
Pant has scored 251 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 138 — underwhelming figures by modern T20 standards. He has managed only nine sixes across those 11 games, a number that reflects just how much his natural aggression has dried up. LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka is known to demand performances that match the investment, and two consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance will be difficult to overlook.
Questions have also been raised about team selection and tactics under Pant’s watch. There was criticism for repeatedly using the likes of Arshin Kulkarni and Ayush Badoni in positions that exposed their technical limitations. Whether those calls came from Pant or coach Justin Langer remains unclear, but the captain ultimately carries the weight of results.
Axar Patel’s Numbers Tell Their Own Story at Delhi Capitals
Axar Patel has had a difficult season both as captain and as a player. He has scored only 100 runs across nine innings at a strike rate of 112.50 — 56 of those came in a single knock, meaning his remaining eight innings produced just 44 runs combined.
With the ball, Axar has bowled exactly three overs per game across 12 matches, picking up 10 wickets at an economy of 8.08. While the economy rate is not alarming, sources say he has consistently under-bowled himself at crucial moments.
Delhi Capitals will see a management shift next season as JSW takes over cricket operations from GMR in their alternate ownership cycle. With Parth Jindal and JSW set to be in charge, there is a strong indication that both the captain and the coaching staff will face a full review. Axar’s future as a player at the franchise appears safer, but his captaincy is far from secure.
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Rahane’s Appointment at KKR Increasingly Looks Like a Mistake
Ajinkya Rahane’s appointment as KKR captain was largely a result of the limited alternatives available to the franchise. His connection with head coach Abhishek Nayar helped seal the deal, but the results have been telling.
Rahane has scored 237 runs at a strike rate of 133 while batting in the top three — numbers that are simply too slow for the modern game. His fellow top-order partner Angkrish Raghuvanshi has not helped either, scoring 340 runs at a strike rate of just over 139. Between the two of them, they combined for only 25 sixes in 11 matches.
At 37, questions are now being raised openly about whether Rahane can keep up with what T20 cricket demands at the top level. Sources suggest that, unlike Pant and Axar, who will remain in demand as players, Rahane may struggle to attract interest from any franchise at the next mini-auction unless KKR make the unlikely decision to persist with him.
What Comes Next for These Three Franchises
With the mega auctions scheduled for 2027, all three franchises will have a chance to rebuild. Whatever happens with the captaincy, Pant and Axar will most likely continue as players. Both remain valuable T20 assets. Rahane’s future looks far less certain given his age and persistent strike rate concerns.
A captaincy change alone will not solve the deeper problems at LSG, DC, and KKR, though. Two consecutive poor seasons across all three sides point to structural issues in squad planning and team selection that go well beyond who wears the armband. Changes are coming — that much appears certain. How sweeping those changes will be depends on how seriously each franchise is willing to confront what went wrong this season.
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