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Rishabh Pant has parted ways with Delhi Capitals after eight years and will enter the IPL 2025 mega auctions.
MS Dhoni (left) and Rishabh Pant having a chat during IPL 2024. (BCCI Photo)
With Rishabh Pant not opting for retention, the upcoming IPL mega auction is expected to be a lively affair with a host of top India cricketers available after leaving their respective franchises. Pant was associated with Delhi Capitals for eight years and reportedly left after not being able to establish a common ground with the team management regarding the future direction of the franchise.
Given Pant’s pedigree, he surely will be one of the most sought-after players at the mega auction expected to be held later this month. There are reports of several teams approaching the wicketkeeper-batter and could draw their auction strategy keeping him in mind.
Plenty of teams have been linked to Pant including Punjab Kings which retained just two players and will enter the auction with a mammoth purse of Rs 110.5 crore. Additionally, PBKS have a new head coach in Ricky Ponting who was with DC till last season and the Australia legend could play a role in bringing Pant into the fold.
Another franchise that could target Pant is five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings who reportedly are in hunt for a wicketkeeper-batter with the ageing MS Dhoni nearing the end of his playing career.
And former CSK batter Suresh Raina has dropped a major hint at the possibility of Pant donning the yellow jersey in the future.
“When I met MS Dhoni, Rishabh Pant was also present. I feel something big is about to happen, someone will definitely wear the yellow,” Raina said on JioCinema on Thursday when the IPL teams announced their retentions.
