Delhi Capitals unlikely to retain Rishabh Pant, aim to acquire Shreyas Iyer in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction: Reports
Delhi Capitals are reportedly unlikely to allocate Rishabh Pant one of their six retention slots ahead of the IPL Mega Auction. The 18th season of the tournament will be played in 2025. The last date for all franchises to submit their retained list of players is October 31.
The association between Rishabh Pant and Delhi Capitals dates back to 2016. The Delhi-based franchise won a bidding war against Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru back then and acquired him for ₹1.90 crores. Despite the franchise's dwindling fortunes, he was awarded the Emerging Player of the Year in 2018.
Post that, Rishabh Pant represented India in the longer formats of the game after having made his T20I debut in 2017. The 27-year-old since then has been a vital player for them and was handed the role of a captain to lead the franchise in 2021. He skipped the 2023 IPL Season after suffering a horrific car crash. He returned to IPL this year, being one of the most prolific run-getters for the Delhi Capitals, which finished sixth in the points table.
Per a report from the Times of India, Pant will be released from the Capitals franchise and allowed to enter the auction pool. It will the end of a nine-year association between the player and the franchise. The report also states that the Capitals are aiming to acquire former player and skipper Shreyas Iyer from the auction pool.
The 2020 finalists have reportedly gone with four retentions: Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Tristan Stubbs, and Abhiskek Porel, who has been used as the uncapped player. The Capitals will also have two RTMs to use at the auction table.
Rishabh Pant was among the big names that were reported to enter the auction this time
Rishabh Pant was reported as a high-profile departure from one of the franchises in the IPL. Team India batter KL Rahul and IPL-winning skipper with Kolkata Knight Riders, Shreyas Iyer were also reported to be released and to enter the auction.
It has been reported that Rahul has left Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) due to personal and professional reasons. However, there have been no comments made as to why Iyer might enter the auction. The deadline for all the franchises to submit their retention list is October 31, 5 pm IST.