Rishabh Pant is set to be the Delhi Capitals' top retention pick ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Pant, who returned to the IPL in 2024 after missing the last edition, scored 446 runs at a strike rate of 155, averaging 40.55. There were speculations that there were differences between Pant and the Delhi Capitals with respect to the retention amount, however, they have been quashed with the Delhi Capitals management confirming to Cricbuzz that Pant will be retained by the franchise in the top bracket.
As per the report, Pant who was in the INR 16 crore bracket for the Capitals in the 2022-24 cycle, will stay as the first choice but the salary is likely to go up depending upon the total purse amount. Pant, who was retained as captain in the second half of IPL 2021 replacing Shreyas Iyer, was seen as the future of the franchise it seems the 2020 finalists are set to put that plan into motion by retaining him ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.
The report suggested that if the BCCI allows five retentions Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav will be second and third retentions for the franchise after Pant with Jake Fraser-McGurk and Tristan Stubbs being the two overseas picks. If there is a sixth option of uncapped players, the wicketkeeper batter Abishek Porel, who came of age in IPL 2024 for the Capitals, is likely to be retained.
Pant-led Delhi Capitals finished sixth on the points table after missing out on the playoffs spot due to net run rate.
The retention rules haven't been declared by the BCCI but as an IANS report suggested a few days ago, it might come anytime now with the month end approaching. The mega auction then is likely to take place in the latter half of November, outside India.
Delhi Capitals meanwhile, are hunting for a new coach after parting ways with Ricky Ponting. Ponting has joined Punjab Kings as their head coach for a four-year period.
