Pant reveals the IPL team he didn't want to join
What's the story
Rishabh Pant, the new captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), has revealed that he was unwilling to join Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction.
Pant's revelation comes after LSG bought him for a whopping ₹27 crore, making him the most expensive buy in IPL history.
The previous record was held by Shreyas Iyer, who was bought by PBKS for ₹26.75 crore earlier in the day.
Auction dynamics
Pant's relief over Iyer's move to PBKS
Pant revealed his relief when Iyer was picked by PBKS, a team with a whopping ₹110 crore budget for the auction.
He said, "From inside, I had only one tension. That was Punjab. Their budget was so high that if you wanted, you could not do anything."
Pant's fear was PBKS's financial strength in the auction and their ability to outbid others.
Auction battle
Bidding war for Pant in IPL 2025 auction
The IPL 2025 auction witnessed a fierce bidding war for Pant between LSG and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) also entered the race to bolster their batting lineup.
However, Delhi Capitals (DC), Pant's former team, failed to match LSG's offer despite trying to play their 'Right To Match' card.
This led to LSG acquiring Pant for a record-breaking sum, exceeding Iyer's value.
IPL
Pant's impressive IPL numbers
Pant has been a consistent performer in the IPL since his debut in 2016, playing for Delhi Capitals (DC).
He has scored 3,284 runs in 110 matches at an average of 35.31, including one century and 18 half-centuries.
As per ESPNcricinfo, Pant led Delhi in 43 IPL games, winning 23 and losing 19. One match ended in a tie.
Captaincy announcement
Speculations and Pant's new role at LSG
Ahead of the auction, there were speculations of Pant being picked by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) or PBKS.
These rumors stemmed from his close ties with MS Dhoni and former DC head coach Rick Ponting's move to PBKS.
However, the speculations were laid to rest when Sanjiv Goenka, principal owner of LSG, announced Pant as their new captain for the 2025 IPL season.