Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will continue his association with Delhi Capitals. Despite media speculation that the franchise might release him ahead of the upcoming mega auction later this year, it has now been confirmed that Pant will be DC’s top retention pick. This development coincided with Pant’s outstanding performance, as he smashed his 6th Test century, tying MS Dhoni’s record.
As per Cricbuzz, Pant is set to be retained by Delhi Capitals, following a meeting with co-owner Parth Jindal in Mumbai. The wicketkeeper-batter, currently earning INR 16 crore, could see an increase in his earnings depending on the player purse allocated to franchises and the retention fee guidelines set by the BCCI.
Pant returned to action in IPL 2024 after a lengthy injury break, resuming his role as DC captain. Since then, he has been in remarkable form, accumulating 446 runs in 13 matches at a stellar strike rate of 155, making him the season’s highest run-scorer. Additionally, Pant remains DC’s all-time leading run-scorer with 3284 runs to his name.
While recovering from his injury, Pant focused on his fitness, a trait that showed in his performances for India, particularly in the 2023 T20 World Cup and the ongoing Test series against Bangladesh. On Saturday, Pant scored a stunning 109 off 128 deliveries, hitting 13 boundaries and 4 sixes.
Though the BCCI has yet to announce the IPL retention policies, reports suggest that DC would prefer to retain players like Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jake Fraser-McGurk, and Tristan Stubbs if allowed to keep more than five players. Additionally, they might retain Abhishek Porel if rules permit the retention of uncapped players.
