Rishabh Pant’s dramatic transfer from the Delhi Capitals to the Lucknow Super Giants has created quite a buzz in the cricket world, especially after the mega auction for IPL 2025. Pant moved to LSG for an incredible Rs 27 crore, making him the highest-paid player in IPL history. This decision came after the Delhi Capitals made last-minute efforts to keep their former captain on the team.
Parth Jindal, CEO of JSW and co-owner of the Delhi Capitals, discussed the situation in an exclusive interview. He revealed that the team’s original plan was to bring back both Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, showcasing the complicated nature of this year’s auction.
Jindal clarified that there were some disagreements with Pant, particularly about his desire to have a say in team leadership decisions. Despite these differences, the Capitals aimed to resolve the situation and even used their Right to Match card during the auction in an attempt to retain him. Nevertheless, LSG’s astonishing bid was too high for the Capitals to counter, leading Pant to join Lucknow.
“We were willing to take that chance because I have a good relationship with Rishabh. With both owners of Delhi on the same page about our discussions with him, we eventually decided it was better for him to go into the auction given the lack of commitment,” noted Jindal.
In terms of their strategy, Jindal said, “We were on different wavelengths. He wanted some influence over decisions concerning the coaching staff, which we felt was primarily the franchise’s decision.”
Following a disappointing finish in IPL 2024, where the team ended up in sixth place, the Delhi Capitals announced a major revamp of their coaching and management staff. Former Indian cricketer Hemang Badani took over as head coach from Ricky Ponting, while Venugopal Rao was appointed as the new Director of Cricket, taking over from Sourav Ganguly.
Initially, the Capitals were keen on re-signing Shreyas Iyer, who had previously led them to the IPL 2020 final. However, Punjab Kings outbid them, securing Iyer for Rs 26.75 crore. His price not only broke the previous record held by Mitchell Starc but was quickly overshadowed by Pant’s subsequent big move.
After losing out on Iyer, Jindal expressed the team’s determination to work things out with Pant. “There’s genuine love between Rishabh and the franchise. I’m confident we could have come to an agreement,” he stated.
With both Pant and Iyer departing, the Delhi Capitals shifted their focus to acquiring KL Rahul, who was previously captain of Lucknow Super Giants. Signing him for Rs 14 crore was seen as a smart decision, given his leadership experience in guiding LSG to playoff appearances in the past.
While Pant’s move reshapes the dynamics for both the Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants, the Capitals’ recruitment of KL Rahul signals their commitment to remaining competitive in the upcoming IPL season.
