Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant revealed that he was tense about one franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. During a special chat with franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka on January 20, Pant shared his thoughts on the auction process. He jokingly admitted that he was worried about being picked up by Punjab Kings.

“Mereko andar se ek hi tension tha, woh tha Punjab. Second highest (purse) was 82 crore. Punjab had 112 crore. When Shreyas (Iyer) went there, then I thought I could go to LSG. I thought there might be a possibility,” Pant said during the chat on Star Sports.

Read Also | Rishabh Pant Named Lucknow Super Giants Captain for IPL 2025

Pant was released by the Delhi Capitals after a nine-year tenure and was acquired by LSG in the IPL 2025 mega auction for a record INR 27 crore. This makes him the most expensive player in the history of the league.

Pant will captain the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The announcement was made by franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka in a special chat on Monday, January 20. Pant, who previously led Delhi Capitals in 43 IPL matches, captained the team in three seasons: 2021, 2022, and 2024. He missed the 2023 season due to injury.

Under Pant’s leadership, Delhi finished top of the points table in 2021 but failed to progress past the qualifiers. In 2022, they finished fifth and narrowly missed out on a playoff spot. In 2024, Pant returned to captain Delhi but the team could not make it past the league stage. The new season is set to begin on March 21. Pant will lead LSG as they aim for their first IPL title.