Rishabh Pant might don the Delhi Capitals (DC) jersey in IPL 2025. The door on the wicketkeeper batter hasn’t been closed yet by the owners of the franchise. It has been speculated that Pant wasn’t retained due to a change in control of the franchise from JSW to GMR Group. His midnight post speculating the money he’d get if he were to enter the IPL 2025 mega auction rubbed the franchise the wrong way as well, and Axar Patel was named their top retention on October 31.
Will make sure to some if not all players back: DC owner
But the door’s not closed yet. Parth Jindal (JSW Group), co-owner of Delhi Capitals, is eager to get as many players back as they want at the auction table. Although they have just two RTM (Right to Match) cards left, they can bid for several players with a whopping Rs 76.25 crore still left in their purse.
“In Axar, Kuldeep, Tristan and Abishek we have the ideal blend of experience and youth, and I am very pleased with our retentions. I would have liked to retain more players who have turned out for DC, but the rules mean we have to pick strategically. Going into the auction we will have two RTM cards and that leaves the door open for players who have worn the DC shirt in the past, to carry on with us. We know who we want and will make sure to get some if not all the players back. With this important milestone behind us, the team is working tirelessly on the mega auction. Our intent is to build a strong and balanced squad that can bring home a much-awaited IPL trophy to our city,” Jindal said in a statement released by DC.
Hollow words?
What could very well happen is that Jindal wants Rishabh Pant to continue at DC, but he doesn’t have the power anymore. Kiran Kumar Grandhi of GMR Group now has complete control of the men’s team, and it’s believed that the reshuffling of coaches, director, and now captain is all part of his plan. What we might see is that Pant may find suitors at the IPL 2025 mega auction, but it isn’t DC.
DC player retention list for IPL 2025
Retention No. 1 (Rs 16.5 crore) – Axar Patel
Retention No. 2 (Rs 13.25 crore) – Kuldeep Yadav
Retention No. 3 (Rs 10 crore) – Tristian Stubbs
Retention No. 4 (Rs 4 crore) (uncapped) – Abhishek Porel
Retention No. 5 – RTM
Retention No. 6 – RTM
Purse left – Rs 76.25 crore
