Rishabh Pant Clarifies Non-Retention By Delhi Capitals Ahead Of IPL 2025 Mega Auction

Rishabh Pant, the wicketkeeper-batter for Team India, has clarified his exit from Delhi Capitals (DC) before the IPL 2025 mega auction. He stated that financial issues were not the reason for his non-retention.

Pant addressed allegations made by Sunil Gavaskar, who suggested financial disagreements led to Pant's departure. On X, Pant wrote, "My retention wasn't about the money for sure that I can say."

Pant's statement followed Gavaskar's comments implying that Pant might have demanded a higher retention fee, causing DC to release him.

DC retained only four players: Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, and Abishek Porel. They have ₹73 crore left in their auction budget. Despite releasing Pant, Gavaskar believes DC will try to bring him back due to his leadership skills and excellent form.

Gavaskar explained that auction dynamics differ significantly. He noted that discussions between players and franchises about expected fees often occur during retention talks. "You can see some of the players who have been retained by their franchise have gone for more than what their deduction fee would have been," he said.

Pant had an outstanding IPL 2024 season with 446 runs at a strike rate of 155.40. Over his IPL career spanning 111 matches, he has accumulated 3,284 runs with an average of 35.31 and a strike rate of 148.93, including one century and 18 half-centuries.

With a base price of ₹2 crore, Pant is anticipated to ignite a bidding war at the auction. His explosive batting and wicketkeeping abilities make him highly desirable for IPL 2025.

The competition for Pant is expected to be fierce among franchises like Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who have substantial budgets available. However, a return to DC remains possible.

"Maybe there was some disagreement there but my feeling is that Delhi would definitely want Pant back.. because they need a captain as well," Gavaskar added. "If Rishabh Pant is not in their squad, they would have to look for that as well. Delhi will definitely go for Rishabh Pant."