IPL 2025: Rishabh Pant breaks his silence on split with Delhi Capitals, says 'retention wasn't about money'

By Sunita Iyer | First Published Nov 19, 2024, 12:05 PM IST

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has addressed the speculation surrounding his split with Delhi Capitals (DC), confirming that his non-retention by the franchise was not due to financial reasons.

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has addressed the speculation surrounding his split with Delhi Capitals (DC), confirming that his non-retention by the franchise was not due to financial reasons. Pant took to social media to respond to comments made by former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, who suggested that there may have been a disagreement over his retention fee.

Gavaskar, speaking on a broadcaster's post, speculated that Delhi Capitals might have chosen not to retain Pant for the 2025 IPL season due to contract discussions, particularly around Pant's fee. He hinted that the franchise could look to buy him back during the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction, scheduled for November 25-26. However, Pant swiftly refuted the claim, responding, "My retention wasn’t about the money for sure that I can say" in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

My retention wasn’t about the money for sure that I can say 🤍

— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17)

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Delhi Capitals had already retained four players for the 2025 season before the auction. Axar Patel was retained for Rs 16.5 crore, Kuldeep Yadav at Rs 13.5 crore, while South African star Tristan Stubbs received Rs 10 crore. An uncapped wicketkeeper was also retained for Rs 4 crore. However, none of Delhi's retained players were paid the highest retention fee of Rs 18 crore. In contrast, other franchises like Royal Challengers Bangalore (Rs 21 crore to Virat Kohli) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (Rs 23 crore for Heinrich Klaasen) offered more than the set fee for their top choices.

Gavaskar, analyzing the situation, suggested that the disagreement might have stemmed from a difference of opinion regarding the retention fees.

"What I feel is Delhi Capitals would want Rishabh Pant back in their squad. Sometimes, when a player has to be retained, there are talks between the franchise and players over the fees, as expected. As some of the players who have been retained by their franchises, they have gone for more than what the No. 1 retention fee deduction would be. So clearly, I think there may be some disagreement there. But, my feeling is Delhi would want Rishabh Pant back," Gavaskar had told Star Sports.

The speculation about Pant's future began earlier in October when rumors circulated regarding the potential impact of Ricky Ponting's exit as head coach of the Delhi franchise. Pant fueled the rumors by posting a cryptic message on social media, asking fans whether he would be bought back in the auction.

"If go to the auction. will I be sold or not and for how much ?? (sic)," he asked.

Pant's IPL career with Delhi Capitals began after his impressive performance at the 2016 U19 World Cup. Over the course of 111 IPL matches, he scored 3284 runs, maintaining an average of 35. Despite his success in the red-ball format, Pant has struggled to replicate the same consistency in T20s, leading to mixed performances in the IPL. Nevertheless, he received consistent backing from the team management under the leadership of Ricky Ponting, who appointed Pant as captain upon his return from a year-long injury absence.

In the aftermath of Pant's non-retention, Delhi Capitals are undergoing a revamp of their coaching staff. Former all-rounder Hemang Badani has been appointed as the head coach, with Venugopal Rao taking on the role of Director of Cricket. Additionally, former World Cup-winning pacer Munaf Patel joined the team as bowling coach earlier in November.

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