‘My retention wasn’t about the money'—Rishabh Pant breaks silence on not getting retained by the Delhi Capitals
Rishabh Pant breaks silence on not getting retained by the Delhi Capitals (Image: NDTV Sports)

Indian wicketkeeper and former Delhi Capitals’ skipper Rishabh Pant has been released by the franchise before the 2025 IPL mega auction. Delhi Capitals have retained just four players—Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristian Stubbs, and Abhishek Porel—heading into the IPL 2025 mega auction.

They have ₹73 crore left in their purse for the auction. He will be a part of the marquee players set in the mega auction and is expected to break several auction records. Rishabh Pant, who led DC for the past four seasons, was not among the four players retained by the franchise. The dynamic player known for his batting and clean hitting capacities, will enter the auction for the first time.

Sunil Gavaskar gave his insight saying Pant parted ways with the Delhi Capitals owing to the disagreement over fees. He stated, “When KKR won last year, Shreyas Iyer was the captain. As I said earlier for Rishabh Pant as well, at times, there could be a disagreement on the fees.”
“Delhi will want him because they will also need to find a captain if Rishabh Pant isn’t in their team. So I feel Delhi will definitely try to use the RTM card or bring Rishabh Pant back into their team at the auction,” added the former cricketer.

Replying to this, Rishabh Pant replied with a comment under the post that said, “My retention wasn’t about the money, for sure that I can say.” this gave a clear indication that the retention was not based on financial issues, hinting at other possible reasons for the separation, such as team dynamics or strategic differences.

The talented wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is expected to be one of the most in-demand players in the 2025 mega auction. Known for his aggressive batting, reliable wicketkeeping, and experience as a captain, he is a valuable player for any team. Franchises like Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, and Kolkata Knight Riders would be involved in a bidding war for the Indian star cricketer.

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