Star Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who has entered the IPL 2025 mega auction after parting with Delhi Capitals (DC), responded strongly to recent comments made by cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar. Gavaskar had suggested that Pant’s exit from DC might have stemmed from some sort of a disagreement over retention fees. Pant, associated with the franchise since 2016, was released ahead of the auction that will take place in Jeddah on November 24 and 25.
He said, showing a video shared by Star Sports: “Players leave their teams to find out their real market value in the auction. Delhi would surely want Rishabh Pant back. There is negotiation over the fees expected during retention discussions, which has been seen with other players as some of the retained ones get more than the No. 1 retention fee. Maybe there was a disagreement there. My feeling is Delhi would want Pant back since they need a captain,” he said.
Reacting to these remarks, Pant clarified, saying, “My retention wasn’t about the money, for sure that I can say.”
Pant, injured from a car accident in IPL 2023, returned for IPL 202 for DC and was their top scorer as they finished sixth, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the third year in a row.
Also Read: Rishabh Pant’s Departure from Delhi Capitals: Report Uncovers Eye-Opening Reasons
So much so, that many think Pant will fetch lucrative bids for himself when the IPL 2025 auction comes around. In all likelihood, his figure might even surpass Mitchell Starc’s when the latter was sold for ₹24.75 crore to KKR in the IPL 2024 auction. Experts feel that Pant is likely to draw above ₹25 crore.
