Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has addressed speculation surrounding his departure from Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Pant responded to former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar's claims that financial disagreements might have led to his exit from the franchise.In a video, Gavaskar suggested that a disagreement over Pant's retention fee could have been the reason for the move. He further speculated that DC might attempt to reacquire Pant during the mega auction, scheduled for November 25-26.

Responding to these claims on X (formerly Twitter), Pant clarified, "My retention wasn’t about the money for sure, that I can say."Ahead of the auction, Delhi Capitals retained four players: Axar Patel (₹16.5 crore), Kuldeep Yadav (₹13.5 crore), Tristan Stubbs (₹10 crore), and an uncapped wicketkeeper (₹4 crore). The franchise opted not to pay the highest cap of ₹18 crore for any player, unlike Royal Challengers Bengaluru and SunRisers Hyderabad, who retained Virat Kohli and Heinrich Klaasen for ₹21 crore and ₹23 crore, respectively.

Pant, who joined DC after his U19 World Cup success in 2016, has been a pivotal player, amassing 3,284 runs in 111 matches at an average of 35. Despite his departure, Gavaskar believes DC will aim to bring Pant back into their squad. "Sometimes, there are discussions between players and franchises about fees during retention. I feel Delhi would want Rishabh Pant back," Gavaskar told Star Sports. Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, are undergoing significant changes with a revamped coaching staff. Hemang Badani has been appointed head coach, Venugopal Rao is the new Director of Cricket, and World Cup-winning pacer Munaf Patel has taken over as bowling coach. Pant’s future and his potential return to Delhi Capitals will be a focal point in the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction.