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Dubai: Indian star Rishabh Pant has sent shock waves through the cricket world, parting ways with the Delhi Capitals just days before the mega auction in Jeddah. As speculation swirls around the reasons behind his exit, Pant is setting the record straight — and it’s not about the money.
Responding to suggestions that the Capitals’ skipper left because he could not agree to the retention fees, “My retention wasn’t about the money for sure, that I can say,” Pant wrote on X in his rebuttal to former India captain Sunil Gavaskar’s views.
Talking about Delhi’s auction strategy on Star Sports, Gavaskar said: “The auction dynamics are completely different, so we don’t know how it will go, but what I feel is that Delhi would certainly want Rishabh Pant back in their squad. Sometimes when the player has to be retained, there’s talk between franchises and players about the fees that are expected. Some of those who have been retained by their franchise have gone for more than, say, what the No 1 retention fee would be.
“So clearly maybe I think there was some disagreement over that, but my feeling is Delhi definitely want Rishabh Pant back because they need a captain as well. If Rishabh Pant is not in their squad, then they have to look for a new captain.”
Pant, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer are three captains expected to trigger a bidding war among the 10-team franchises during the auction on November 24 and 25.
Pant’s cryptic social media post
Much before the cut-off for the teams to announce their retentions, the 27-year-old posted a cryptic message on social media: “If I go to the auction. Will I be sold or not and for how much?”
Delhi Capitals, who have retained only three players — Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, and Abhishek Porel — have two Right to Match (RTM) cards, which they can use for any of their past players during the auction.
The left-hander returned to competitive cricket during the IPL 2024 after a horrific car crash in 2022 that confined him to crutches. He fought his way back into the Indian team after an intensive rehabilitation programme at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
Pant was the hero of India’s 2021 series win that helped the visitors conquer Australia’s fortress at Gabba. The maverick left-hander will be crucial for the Men in Blue’s success in the current Border-Gavaskar series, which begins in Perth on Friday.
Ganguly’s confidence in Pant’s potential
Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly feels Pant is the next best red-ball batter after stalwart Virat Kohli and predicts him to have a “huge impact” in the series.
Ganguly, who has worked closely with Pant during their time with Delhi Capitals in the IPL, believes that the “generational talent” will make his mark during the five Tests.
“Pant is special. He still needs to evolve in white-ball cricket, but in red-ball, he is just fantastic. Look at the innings he has played in England, Australia, and South Africa, and you will know he is a generational talent in red-ball cricket. He is India’s next-best red-ball batter after Kohli and could have a huge impact in the series,” Ganguly said while speaking to an Indian media outlet Revsportz.
Pant showcased his knack for scoring runs in the recent Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand earlier this year. Displaying terrific form, he racked up 422 runs from five matches at an average of 46.88 and a strike rate of 86.47.
— With inputs from agencies
