Axar Patel Reveals First Call With Rishabh Pant After Delhi Capitals Return: 'Main Waapas Aa Raha Hun'

Rishabh Pant is heading back to the Delhi Capitals (DC) after being traded from the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), with spinner Kuldeep Yadav going the other way. Pant, who was bought by LSG for a record-breaking Rs 27 crore in 2025, has taken a Rs 12 crore pay cut to rejoin DC, a franchise where he spent the first nine years of his IPL career before moving to LSG. In a video uploaded by DC on social media, Axar Patel, who led the franchise following Pant's departure, revealed that the wicketkeeper had called him moments after rejoining the side.

Axar added that he couldn't pick up Pant's call initially as he was busy spending time with his son.

"He was the first person to call me. These days, I spend a lot of time with my child, so I usually keep my phone aside. I missed his first call, and when he called again, I had to ignore the call again. Later, after my child had fallen asleep, I called him back and asked, 'What happened? Is something urgent? He replied, 'Bhai, it's confirmed. Main wapas aa raha hu (I'm coming back)'," recalled Axar.

Axar also poked fun at Pant rejoining DC, insisting that it is "better late than never."

"That was our first conversation. After that, we just spoke normally. Yes, he's finally coming back. Deep down, I always felt he would, though I never told him, 'Subah ka bhula jab shaam ko ghar aaye usey bhoola nahi kehte' (A person who returns home after straying is not considered lost). But my affection for him is such that I brought him back to Delhi," he added.

While Pant's IPL salary will see a significant reduction after the trade, Kuldeep will continue at his existing fee of Rs 13.50 crore after he joined the Lucknow-based franchise.

At LSG, Pant struggled to justify his price tag over the past two seasons with the franchise.

The wicketkeeper-batter managed only three fifty-plus scores in his last 28 innings, which included one century and two half-centuries. In IPL 2025, he scored 269 runs at an average of 24.45 and a strike rate of 133.16.

His form did not see a significant improvement in IPL 2026 either, as he accumulated 312 runs at an average of 28.36 with a strike rate of 138.05. Following the season, he also stepped down from the captaincy role.

(With ANI Inputs)

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Topics mentioned in this article

Delhi Capitals Lucknow Super Giants Rishabh Pant Axar Patel Cricket