New Delhi
Rishabh Pant has refuted Sunil Gavaskar’s claim that a disagreement over his retention fee led to his exit from the Delhi Capitals ahead of the IPL mega auction. Pant, who captained the franchise last season after recovering from a serious car accident, is among the marquee players not retained by their teams this year.
Pant clarified the situation on X, stating, “My retention wasn’t about the money for sure,” in response to a video where Gavaskar speculated about the matter. Gavaskar suggested that the dynamics of retention fees might have played a role but added that Delhi Capitals would likely aim to reacquire Pant at the auction, scheduled for November 24-25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The legendary cricketer explained, “Sometimes discussions between players and franchises about fees don’t align, leading to such decisions. However, I believe Delhi will want Pant back since they also need a captain.”
Pant, a stalwart for the Delhi franchise since his IPL debut in 2016, has accumulated 3,284 runs at an average of 35.31, including one century and 18 fifties in 111 matches. Alongside fellow marquee players Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, Pant is listed at a base price of ₹2 crore for the upcoming auction.
The auction will reveal whether Delhi Capitals will prioritize bringing Pant back or search for a new captain for the next season.
