3 reasons why Delhi Capitals releasing Rishabh Pant to the IPL 2025 Auction is a disastrous move
Rishabh Pant has been released by the Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction as the franchise decided not to retain the star Indian player. Pant was roped in by Delhi in 2016 and has been with the franchise ever since.
He was also named their captain ahead of the IPL 2021 season and has been an integral part of the team for many years in the cash-rich league. While there were speculations about Rishabh Pant parting ways with the Delhi Capitals ahead of the retentions, he was expected to be retained by the franchise.
Having played 111 games for Delhi, Pant has also scored plenty of runs for the franchise and has won them crucial games over past seasons.
With the star wicketkeeper-batter now in the auction pool, he will be among the top attractions, and teams are expected to go after the Inndia international. Releasing Pant ahead of the IPL 2025 auction could be a move the Capitals may regret.
On that note, here are three reasons why Delhi Capitals releasing Rishabh Pant to the IPL 2025 Auction is a disastrous move.
#3 Delhi Capitals will have to look for a new captain with Rishabh Pant being released
Rishabh Pant took over the captaincy of the Delhi Capitals in 2021. They made it to the playoffs that season but lost in the second qualifier. A captain is always crucial to any side and having an Indian captain is all the more important in the IPL.
Apart from Pant, there are only a few other options for Indian captains and with many teams needing captains, Delhi might have to shell out a large sum of money to bring in an Indian captain. If they do not manage to do so, they will have to settle for an overseas captain which is not quite ideal.
#2 Pant has been their leading run-getter in the IPL
The dynamic wicketkeeper-batter is the all-time highest run-getter for the Delhi Capitals in the history of the league. In nine seasons for Delhi from 2016 to 2024, Pant represented them in 111 games and amassed 3284 runs at a strike-rate of 148.93.
After returning from his accident, Pant top-scored for them in 2024 as well with 446 runs at an average of 40.55 and a strike-rate of 155.40. With all his experience and having played for the franchise for a long time, letting him go just when he could have built on his performance and come to his best may not be the right move.
The Delhi Capitals could have built their team around Pant, which could have brought out the best in him.
#1 Delhi Capitals will have to find and develop another face such as Dhoni or Virat
Rishabh Pant has always been seen as a potential future India captain, much like MS Dhoni, making him the type of player any franchise would want on their side rather than with a rival team.
The Delhi Capitals, known for promoting and building a strong core of Indian players, invested heavily in Pant over nine seasons. Releasing him at this point means that they might have missed out on an opportunity to maintain a similar bond and loyalty such as that of Dhoni to CSK, Gambhir to KKR, or Kohli to RCB.
Now, with him gone, they will need to find and groom a new face. Known for nurturing Indian talent and building a strong core, they invested heavily in him in terms of time and resources, making it a mistake to let him go.