Delhi Capitals to retain Pant, Axar & Kuldeep: sources

New Delhi: Contrary to speculations going on that Rishabh Pant could be moving out of Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, sources have revealed that the wicketkeeper-batter will remain with the franchise. 

Since Saturday morning, various sections of the media have claimed that Pant, also DC’s captain, is potentially leaving the franchise. They have also linked him to a move to five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the team of the legendary M S Dhoni, whose big brother-like relationship and camaraderie with Pant is no secret to the cricketing world.

But according to sources, Pant is still very much with DC and he is in sight to be retained by the franchise alongside Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, who have been vital cogs for the team in the past few seasons. The trio was part of the Indian team which emerged triumphant in the recent T20 World Cup.

Pant has been with the franchise since 2016 when he was picked by them in the auction held on the day he scored 111 off 96 balls for India in the 197-run win over Namibia in the ICC U-19 World Cup quarterfinal in Bangladesh.

Since then, Pant has become a mainstay of DC, amassing 3,284 runs in 111 games, averaging 35.31 at a strike rate of 148.93. He has a century and 18 fifties to his credit, earning him a huge following from the franchise’s fan base.

Pant, who’s captained the side in IPL 2021, 2022, and 2024, has also taken 75 catches and effected 38 stumpings as a wicketkeeper for DC. They are searching for a new head coach post-Ricky Ponting’s departure from the role.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that K L Rahul could be moving to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), with sources adding that the talk around it is in a ‘very initial stage’ currently and ‘you never know what can happen in future’.

Rahul has been leading LSG since their maiden IPL appearance in 2022, but in 2024, the side finished in seventh position in the points table. Rahul has represented RCB in 2013 and 2016, with his second stint with the franchise yielding 397 in 14 innings, including four half-centuries, as the side ended runners-up that year.

Sources point out that RCB are keen on having a local face in their team, as well as having a player who can also take up the leadership mantle for the coming cycle -– both of which Rahul can handle presently.

There has been no official word yet on the make-up of player retentions, plus the salary of retained players and overall purse, or whether the Right to Match (RTM) option will be available at the mega auction.

For now, all eyes will be on the 10 franchise owners’ meeting with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at the end of this month (most likely on July 30), followed by the subsequent months of frenetic activity till the retained players' submission deadline and trading period comes into effect.