Rishabh Pant's Decision To Enter IPL 2025 Auction: Insights From Delhi Capitals Coach Hemang Badani

Hemang Badani, the head coach of Delhi Capitals (DC), has shared insights into Rishabh Pant's decision to enter the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. This event took place last month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Pant, a former captain of DC, chose not to be retained by the team.

Despite DC's efforts to retain Pant using the Right to Match (RTM) card, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) secured him with a record bid of Rs 27 Crore. This amount set a new benchmark for player fees in the IPL.

Pant began his IPL journey with DC in 2016 and played eight seasons with them. However, his social media post questioning his potential auction value sparked uncertainty about his future with the franchise.

Speculation arose regarding DC's decision to release Pant. Some reports suggested scrutiny over his captaincy, while others hinted at financial motivations for Pant's move.

Pant addressed these rumours on social media, denying that money was his primary motivation. He responded to Star Sports' panel opinions before the auction, stating, "My retention wasn't about the money for sure that I can say."

Badani explained that Pant believed he was worth more than Rs 18 Crore, the highest retention slab. Thus, he wanted to test his market value through the auction.

Insights from Hemang Badani

During a conversation with Subramnian Badrinath on a YouTube channel, Badani revealed that Pant preferred entering the auction over being retained. "I think it's the other way around. He wanted not to be retained," said Badani.

The coach highlighted that retaining a player requires mutual agreement between both parties. Despite many discussions and messages exchanged, Pant was firm on testing his market value.

Delhi Capitals' Stance

Badani confirmed DC's interest in retaining Pant but acknowledged that Pant wanted to explore his worth in the auction. The coach agreed with Pant's assessment of his value based on the auction outcome.

"Yes (Delhi Capitals were interested in retaining him). He said he wanted to go to the auction and test the market," Badani noted. Ultimately, Pant secured Rs 27 Crore at the auction.

The coach expressed admiration for Pant's skills and acknowledged that DC would miss him but accepted it as part of cricket life. "He is a very good player. We will obviously miss him. But, life goes on," Badani concluded.