IPL 2025: Rishabh Pant opens up on leaving Delhi Capitals
Former Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Rishabh Pant has clarified that he didn't leave the team for money. Pant's statement came after an Indian Premier League (IPL) broadcaster posted Sunil Gavaskar's speculation about why DC didn't retain Pant for the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction. "My retention wasn't about the money for sure that I can say," Pant wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Here's more.
Gavaskar's speculation on Pant's departure from DC
Gavaskar had hinted that a disagreement over Pant's retention fee could have resulted in his exit from DC. He also speculated that the team might attempt to reacquire Pant in the mega auction, which is set to take place on November 25 and 26. "What I feel is Delhi Capitals would want Rishabh Pant back in their squad," Gavaskar had told Star Sports.
DC's retention strategy and Pant's future
Ahead of the auction, DC retained four players including Axar Patel (₹16.5 crore), Kuldeep Yadav (₹13.5 crore), South African cricketer Tristan Stubbs (₹10 crore), and uncapped Abishek Porel for ₹4 crore. Notably, none of these players were paid the maximum cap of ₹18 crore by DC. This strategy is in stark contrast to teams like Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who went above the set price for their first-choice player.
Pant's journey with DC and future prospects
Pant was picked by DC after his stellar U19 World Cup performance for India in 2016. He has represented the side in 111 matches, scoring 3,284 runs at an average of 35.31. He slammed one hundred and 18 fifties for the franchise. In IPL 2024, he scored 446 runs at 40.54. Pant is expected to attract quite a few teams who are looking for a skipper. He could also break the record as the most expensive Indian player ever.
