IPL Auction 2025: Rishabh Pant fought till every inch with Delhi Capitals' owners

Delhi Capitals (DC) have released Indian wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant ahead of the highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL 2025 mega auction). A recent report from the PTI news agency revealed the exact reason behind Rishabh Pant and the Delhi Capitals parting ways before the auction.

The Capitals have retained four players, with Axar Patel as their first choice at ₹16.50 crore. Kuldeep Yadav (₹13.25 crore), Tristan Stubbs (₹10), and uncapped player Abhishek Porel (₹4) have also been retained. DC has a budget of ₹73 crore for the auction and two Right to Match (RTM) cards available.

Delhi Capitals Signed Rishabh Pant For ₹1.90 Crore During 2016 Auction

The Delhi team signed Rishabh Pant for ₹1.90 crore during the 2016 auction. They outbid Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during the auction. Pant has been a key player for the franchise over the past eight seasons and earned the Emerging Player of the Year award in 2018.

The southpaw was part of the Delhi team that reached their first IPL final in 2020. Pant took over as captain of the team during IPL 2022. The left-handed batter missed the entire IPL 2023 due to a serious car accident. However, he made a comeback in the subsequent season and finished as DC's leading run-getter.

Rishabh Pant Unhappy With Decisions Made By GMR Group

A recent report revealed that Rishabh Pant was unhappy with decisions made by the GMR Group, the co-owners of the Delhi Capitals, regarding changes in the management. Pant expressed dissatisfaction with the appointment of Hemang Badani as head coach and Venugopal Rao as the Director of Cricket.

He was dissatisfied with the GMR Group, especially regarding the reduction of his powers. DC is owned equally by the JSW and GMR Groups, who will lead during 2025 and 2026. The team has decided to part ways with Ricky Ponting, the head coach, and replace Sourav Ganguly as the Director of Cricket.

It Was A Very Emotional Moment - Report

According to a report in The Times of India, Rishabh Pant and the Delhi Capitals management disagreed on the franchise's future direction. Pant felt sidelined by recent coaching appointments and expected a more significant role, which did not materialize.

“It was a very emotional moment for all the stakeholders. Pant has been an integral part of the franchise since he was first bought in 2016. The owners and Pant didn’t want this relationship to end easily. So, they kept trying till the end. But Pant decided that he would rather leave on good terms and be a bone of contention," TOI quoted a source as saying.

“The GMR group was the sole owner of the team when Pant was bought in 2016. They share a very fond relationship with Pant. But Pant expected a greater role in the franchise which was agreed upon in Aug. But somehow that wasn’t translating into anything," the source said.

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