IPL 2025: Delhi Capitals new coach makes shocking claim on Rishabh Pant

Aggressive wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was picked up by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 27 crore in the recently held IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Though Delhi Capitals did exercise their right-to-match option for Pant, the franchise eventually pulled out when LSG raised their bid to Rs 27 crore.

In response, Delhi Capitals’ newly appointed head coach Hemang Badani has revealed why the franchise was not able to retain Pant.

According to Badani, Pant always felt that he is worth more than the highest cap for retained players -- Rs 18 crore.

“I think it’s the other way around. He wanted not to be retained. He said he wanted to go the auction and test the market,” said Badanin in a recent interaction.

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“If you want to retain a player, both parties (the team and the player) have to agree on certain things. We tried talking to him and the management tried talking to him. There were a lot of phone calls and messages exchanged,” he added.

Badani also alleged that Pant always wanted to go to the auction as he felt he was worth more than what was being offered to him by Delhi Capitals.

However, Delhi Capitals’ co-owner Parth Jindal had earlier said that the exit of the maverick batter was not about money.