Instead of Pant, DC could consider using their RTM on players like Jake Fraser-McGurk or Rasikh Salam.
It came as a surprise when Delhi Capitals released their star wicketkeeper-batter, Rishabh Pant, on the retention deadline before the IPL 2025 mega-auction.
Pant was with the Capitals since 2016 and was appointed captain in 2021 to fill in for the injured Shreyas Iyer, continuing in the role for IPL 2022.
After recovering from a serious car accident in December 2022, Pant returned for IPL 2024, reclaiming the captaincy and scoring 446 runs, though it ended up being another average season for the team.
The reason behind Pant’s release was that he not only requested to continue as captain of Delhi Capitals but also expressed an interest in being involved in choosing the coaching staff. However, the franchise was reportedly not fully convinced with his T20 performances, which ultimately led to their decision to let him go.
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Delhi Capitals retained four key players ahead of the IPL 2025 auction: Axar Patel for INR 16.50 crores, Kuldeep Yadav for INR 13.25 crores, Tristan Stubbs for INR 10 crores, and Abhishek Porel for INR 4 crores.
Abhishek Porel has been retained as the uncapped player, allowing Delhi Capitals to use their Right to Match (RTM) for one capped player and one uncapped player, or they can choose to use both RTMs on capped players during the auction.
The RTM card gives a franchise the chance to buy back a player from their previous season by simply matching the final auction price. In past auctions, if a team wanted to use RTM, the auctioneer would ask them directly after the player was sold, allowing them to secure the player at the final bid price.
This year, the rule has changed. If a franchise uses RTM, the highest-bidding team will get an extra chance to raise their offer. The original team would then need to match this increased bid to retain the player.
In the case of Rishabh Pant, it’s unlikely that DC will use their RTM card for him. However, if Pant goes for a surprisingly low bid, DC might consider using RTM to bring him back. That scenario, though, appears quite unlikely.
Additionally, the decision to release Pant appears to have been mutual, involving both DC and Pant himself, making it even less likely that DC would plan to use RTM to bring him back.
Instead of Pant, DC could consider using their RTM on players like Jake Fraser-McGurk or Rasikh Salam. Fraser-McGurk, a promising young batter, impressed with 330 runs at a strike rate of 234.04 in IPL 2024, but DC ultimately retained Tristan Stubbs instead of him.
Meanwhile, Salam, who excelled at the Emerging Asia Cup T20 with nine wickets, could strengthen DC’s pace unit. If available at a reasonable price, DC might prioritize bringing him back using RTM, over other pacers like Khaleel Ahmed or Mukesh Kumar.
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