Since Rishabh Pant is one of the main talking points currently, there is much speculation about how the DC franchise will treat him. Will the Delhi Capitals make him their captain again, or are they set to part ways? The chances of the latter are higher, as reports suggest it is almost confirmed that Rishabh Pant will be released by the Delhi Capitals and go under the hammer. There is no question about his batting abilities or his wicketkeeping, where he excels as a master. Moreover, he is also captain material, having already shown how he can lead big teams.
If we look at the IPL numbers, he has led DC for the past few years and has a 53.48% win rate in 43 games, with the team winning 23 of those matches and qualifying for the playoffs in 2021. Overall, he has done an impressive job. However, there are now chances that he may look for a new IPL jersey. As he has already proven himself as a captain, If he enters the IPL auction, teams looking for a leader will likely bid for him. Several teams could be expected to target Rishabh Pant and make him their skipper for the upcoming IPL 2025. See three teams that are expected to bid for Pant and could make him their captain as well.
Teams that might target Rishabh Pant as their captain for IPL 2025
Mumbai Indians
There is a lot to see regarding what MI will do with Ishan Kishan. Will they retain him or not, considering he is their current wicketkeeper-batter? Also, there are many doubts about Hardik Pandya, will he remain with MI once again? More importantly, since the last IPL turned out to be the worst for Hardik as a leader, with the team finishing tenth, MI, known for their surprises, could make a bold move and possibly go higher for Pant to bring him into the camp and give him the captaincy. Although it will be interesting to see, the auction is still a few weeks away. From MI’s perspective, getting Pant could be a good move if they manage to do so.
Chennai Super Kings
For CSK, their current captain Ruturaj Gaikwad could face tough times. There have been discussions in the past about how CSK is interested in acquiring this superstar in the yellow jersey, but with no trade options available around the mega auction, the chances of him joining CSK through backdoor means are slim. The only way he can join is if the five-time IPL-winning team is able to acquire him during the mega auction. Since CSK needs a wicketkeeper-batter for the future, especially as MS Dhoni is in the final stages of his competitive cricket career, the yellow jersey will look to get a new wicketkeeper-batter. In all of this, we may also see Pant getting the captaincy, but it all depends on what CSK decides to do with Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
There are already a few reports claiming that Faf du Plessis may not be retained by the RCB camp, primarily due to his age. On the other hand, with wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik is no more in the mix now, the chances of RCB bidding for Rishabh Pant are extremely high. However, will RCB make him the captain? There are reports surfacing that Virat Kohli is once again set to lead the team, which has come as a surprise to many. But what if he doesn’t get the captaincy? We still need to wait for confirmation, but the chances are high that the run machine will don the RCB captaincy jersey once again. If he doesn’t, we can expect Pant to join the team and lead the camp for IPL 2025.