Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar had earlier speculated that Rishabh Pant’s departure from the Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction was because of a financial disagreement, but the dynamic wicketkeeper batter has now publicly put this to rest. Pant firmly rejected a claim in a recent video shared by Star Sports that his exit might have been a result of a row over retention fees, something Gavaskar suggested.
"It wasn’t about the money for sure that I can say," Pant told X (formerly Twitter) in a response to the question about his retention. DC, meanwhile, released Pant, who has been a key player for the franchise since his debut in 2016, when he has scored more than 3,284 runs and led the team as captain.
Gavaskar believes that DC will want to bring back Pant during the auction, and having a strong leader in the squad is important. Delhi would certainly want Rishabh Pant back... If Rishabh Pant is not in their squad, they have to look for a new captain," he said. However, Pant’s comments indicate that there may be a rift between him and the franchise management.
With the IPL auction just around the corner, on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, all ten franchises are expected to battle it out for Pant's services. The current purse balance suggests that teams like the Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be in contention for his signature. A return to DC might still be on the cards, but Pant is ready for new challenges after missing the entire 2023 season with injury.
