Rishabh Pant led Delhi Capitals to a sixth-place finish in IPL 2024 and was also the franchise’s highest run-scorer with 446 runs from 13 innings.
New Delhi: Putting an end to all rumours, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra revealed that Rishabh Pant has signed a deal with Delhi Capitals with an ‘inflated figure’ ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The wicketkeeper-batter has been in headlines recently with several media reports stating that the T20 World Cup winner might head to Chennai Super Kings for the upcoming season.
Bought by Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2016, Pant has been a loyal member of the franchise for the past eight years. He did miss the 2023 season due to a life-threatening car accident, but made a comeback early this year and even led Delhi Capitals to a sixth-place finish with seven wins and seven losses. He was also the franchise’s highest run-scorer in IPL 2024 with 446 runs at a strike rate of 155.40.
Although the BCCI is yet to announce the IPL 2025 retention rules, the franchises are yet to decide on their retention list before the mega auction. In a video shared by Chopra on his YouTube channel, the former KKR opener opined that rumours of Pant leaving Delhi have been put to rest virtually.
“Rishabh Pant is not going anywhere. There were rumors that Rishabh Pant and the Delhi Capitals are parting ways. Ricky Ponting has gone to Punjab (Kings), so maybe Rishabh Pant could be Punjab’s new captain, or else Rishabh Pant said that he likes playing in Chennai a lot, so maybe it was Chennai (Super Kings),” Chopra said.
“However, there is a report on Cricbuzz that says that a full stop should be put on all the rumors. Rishabh Pant will be with the Delhi Capitals. A deal has been sealed with an inflated figure. Well done Delhi, this is one job you have done well. Keep him with you, you won’t get anyone again like him,” added the former India opener.
With Punjab Kings roping in former Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting, there was also a notion that Pant might head to PBKS. “As soon as Rishabh scored a century recently, the handles of different franchises wished him, among which we prominently displayed the Punjab handle on JioCinema. Then the rumor was whether he is going to Punjab because Ricky Ponting and Rishabh Pant were together for many years. They get along really well. However, it’s been heard that’s not the case,” Chopra observed.
“When he scored a century in Chennai, he said he likes playing there, and he loves Mahi Bhai (MS Dhoni) a lot. Again the rumor market was hot that Rishabh Pant will play for CSK, but that’s also not happening, it seems like that. If we trust this report from Cricbuzz, he is going to stay at Delhi,” he added. Meanwhile, Pant scored 109 off 128 deliveries on return to Test cricket, thus helping India to canter a 280-run win over Bangladesh in Chennai last week. He also scored a fifty in the innings of the Test match.
