"Tells us that something else was cooking there" - Aakash Chopra on Rishabh Pant saying money wasn't the criteria for not staying with DC
Aakash Chopra has noted that Rishabh Pant claiming that money was not the criterion behind him not being retained by the Delhi Capitals (DC) implies that 'something else was cooking' in the franchise. The former India opener added that Pant's earlier social media post about his potential auction price also indicated that something was amiss.
Sunil Gavaskar recently said on Star Sports that Pant might not have stayed with the Capitals due to a fee disagreement. The wicketkeeper-batter responded on social media that the retention price had no role in his release.
Reflecting on Pant's response in a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the cricketer-turned-commentator noted that the Delhi Capitals' last season's captain had himself set social media abuzz with an earlier post.
"I saw a video where Sunil Gavaskar said that negotiations happen these days and a few players have got more than ₹18 crore, like Heinrich Klaasen got ₹23 crore and Virat Kohli got ₹21 crore. So maybe Rishabh wanted more and he didn't get as much, and that's why he is not with Delhi now but Delhi will want to keep him with them and will use the RTM card because they also need a captain," he said (0:45).
"This was Sunny bhai's thought process. He said that and Rishabh Pant quickly responded that money had nothing to do with it, which basically tells us that something else was cooking there. Rishabh Pant actually started this. He had tweeted that if he goes to the auction, will he be sold, and for how much if he gets sold. Why would you ask that question, Rishabh? That was a hint that all is not well in Delhi's heavenly abode," Chopra added.
The Capitals released Pant and retained Axar Patel (₹16.50 crore), Kuldeep Yadav (₹13.25 crore), Tristan Stubbs (₹10 crore), and Abishek Porel (₹4 crore) ahead of the auction. Although they paid a total sum of ₹43.75 crore to the players, ₹47 crore was deducted from their purse.
"There are only two things that could have happened" - Aakash Chopra on the potential reasons behind Rishabh Pant's non-retention at DC
![Rishabh Pant was the Delhi Capitals' highest run-scorer in IPL 2024. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/11/e74fa-17320748338927-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that Rishabh Pant might have opted to go into the auction if he wasn't assured the Delhi Capitals' captaincy in IPL 2025.
"I had also heard that the money negotiation was settled but then what happened? There are only two things that could have happened. One is Rishabh Pant might have been told that they would keep him but not make him their captain or at least they can't guarantee him that he would be their captain. In such a scenario, Rishabh might have said no when asked if he would want to stay," he said.
The reputed commentator added that Pant might have not been given the support staff he wanted.
"If this wasn't the reason, the second thing could be that he might have asked for his own support staff because the support staff was changing. In such a scenario, Rishabh Pant might have asked for three or four people in his support staff team, and that it wouldn't work out if they didn't do that," Chopra observed.
Ricky Ponting, the Delhi Capitals head coach last season, has moved to the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the same role. The Capitals have appointed Venugopal Rao as Director of cricket and Hemang Badani as head coach.