After this season, an IPL mega auction will take place to allow franchises to retain certain players for subsequent auctions.
CSK currently have several Indian players that they may wish to retain, such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja, but will need someone who can replace MS Dhoni.
Delhi Capitals Holding On To Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant is set to continue as full-time captain for Delhi Capitals following Shreyas Iyer’s injury during their Paytm ODI series against England in match two. Pant was appointed captain immediately.
Delhi Capitals have taken Iyer’s injury as a huge setback; yet, they remain confident of performing well in this season of IPL despite losing their captain.
The Capitals will kick-off their season against Punjab Kings at Mullanpur on March 23, followed by games in Jaipur and Rajasthan before hosting Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders.
Parth Jindal-owned franchise DC have already lost head coach Ricky Ponting. There had been reports that wicket-keeper-batsman Rishabh Pant could join five-time champions Chennai Super Kings ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction; however, sources have confirmed his future is with DC; their Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly stated they will take a’match by match’ approach with Rishabh Pant as wicketkeeper-batsman.
Delhi Capitals Will Release Rishabh Pant Ahead Of IPL 2025 Mega Auction
Delhi Capitals may release Rishabh Pant before the Indian Premier League 2025 Mega Auction which will take place towards the end of this season. Pant hasn’t been completely happy with his captaincy duties and may leave before participating in any future edition of this tournament.
DC are considering moving on from Indian wicketkeeper-batsman, as they believe Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja can lead them in future. Both players performed admirably last season when Yellow Army finished sixth out of ten teams.
Delhi may retain Indian bowlers Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav who were instrumental in their attack, along with overseas players Tristan Stubbs and Jake Fraser-McGurk who have both played overseas cricket for them. If decision-makers decide to release Pant, Chennai Super Kings might buy him as they’ve been linked with signing an Indian wicketkeeper-batsman after MS Dhoni announced his retirement soon enough.
CSK Seeking Indian Wicketkeeper-Batsman
CSK has already initiated their search for a replacement for MS Dhoni. According to reports, they would likely target Rishabh Pant should Delhi Capitals decide to release him.
According to Dainik Jagran, DC are unhappy with how 26-year-old Pant has led their team and may trade him even though their director of cricket, Sourav Ganguly, wants him to retain his captaincy role.
Dhoni and Pujara have formed a close bond, often seen spending time together and supporting him during his recovery after an accident that led him to miss the 2024 World Cup. Many speculate that Pujara could take over as CSK captain once Dhoni retires from cricket – the Delhi-born cricketer has played both T20 and ODI matches for India’s national side.
CSK’s Retention Plans
Reports indicate Rishabh Pant is leaving Delhi Capitals ahead of the Indian Premier League 2025 mega auction, potentially joining CSK. They need an experienced wicketkeeper-batsman after losing Dinesh Karthik as they aim to retain five-time champion status.
Pant has long been considered an integral member of MS Dhoni’s team as its mentor. He was chosen by Delhi franchise in an auction held the day he scored an unbeaten century against Namibia at Men’s U-19 World Cup quarter-final in Bangladesh.
According to Dainik Jagran, DC are dissatisfied with Pant’s performances and may look to trade him, so as to open up more options at auction. However, if DC decides not to trade him away, he can continue as wicketkeeper-batsman under new captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.
