Delhi Capitals (DC)“Newly appointed coach Dancers' breathingprovided detailed insights into the circumstances surrounding Rishabh Pant's departure from the franchise.
Most expensive player in IPL 2025: Rishabh Pant
Pant, one of Indian Premier League (IPL) The brightest stars, ever captured Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to A record amount of INR 27 Crores During the mega IPL auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The move marked a significant moment in the history of the Indian Premier League, with Pant becoming the most expensive player ever in the league. Despite Delhi exercising the Right to Match Option (RTM), the franchise ultimately decided not to continue bidding for their former skipper, citing reasons linked to Pant's ambitions and the dynamics of the auction.
New coach Hemang Badani breaks his silence
During an interview on Subramaniam Badrinath Badani's YouTube channel explained why the Capitals failed to retain their superstar. According to Badani, Pant was firm in his desire to test his market value in the auction, a decision that took precedence over efforts to retain the franchise. I think it's the opposite. He wanted not to be kept. He said he wanted to go to the auction and test the market. Al-Badani explained.
The coach revealed that there were intense communications between Pant and the Delhi Capitals management in an attempt to retain him. “If you want to keep a player, both parties (the team and the player) have to agree on certain things. We tried to talk to him, and the management tried to talk to him. There were a lot of phone calls and letters exchanged.” He added. Despite these efforts, Pant remained firm in his decision, believing that he could command value higher than the Rs 18-crore cap placed on retained players.
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A calculated move that paid off
Badani also noted that Pant's decision was not a hasty one but was a well-thought-out strategy based on his self-assessment and the dynamics of the auction. Pant's confidence in his market value was validated during the auction when LSG raised its bid to INR 27 crore, setting a new benchmark for IPL contracts. Badani acknowledged Pant's logic and congratulated him on his historic signing.
“He said he wanted to go to the auction and test the mark. He said he had a feeling there were chances of getting more money than the maximum kept player cap, which was Rs 18 crore. At the end of the day, he felt he was worth more. And the market said the same. He got 27 Rs 1 lakh is good for him. He is a very good player and we will obviously miss him but life goes on.” Al-Badani concluded.
A heartfelt farewell from Delhi Capitals
After the auction, Parth Jindalco-owner of Delhi Capitals, expressed his feelings on Pant's departure in a heartfelt message shared on X. Jindal thanked Pant for his invaluable contributions to the team, both as a player and a leader, and expressed optimism about a possible reunion in the future.
To Rishabh @rishabpant17 You are and will always be my little brother – I love you from the bottom of my heart and have done my best to make sure you are happy and that I treat you like my family. I'm so sad to see you go and I'm so touched. you will…
– Parth Jindal (@ParthJindal11) November 26, 2024
Naturally, Pant's record deal has fueled speculation about the role of finances in his departure from the Capitals. However, Pant himself took to social media to refute the allegations. in Reply to a video clip where Sunil Gavaskar Suggesting that financial disagreements may have been a factor, Pant wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “My retention was definitely not about the money, as far as I could tell.” This statement was an attempt to clear the air and distance the narrative from critical motives.
