'Well done Delhi, this is one job you have done well' - Aakash Chopra confirms Rishabh Pant being retained by Delhi Capitals
The dynamic wicketkeeper-batter has been a part of the DC since the 2016 edition of the IPL.
Since the past few months, speculations have been circulating regarding Rishabh Pant possibly shifting bases in the Indian Premier League. This hypothesis became even more rampant once Ricky Ponting, who had coached the franchise for seven straight seasons, stepped down from his role.
However, former India cricketer, Aakash Chopra, suggested that the wicketkeeper-batter is going nowhere and that a report from Cricbuzz suggested that it was already a done deal between DC and Pant.
"Rishabh Pant is not going anywhere. There were rumours that Rishabh Pant and the Delhi Capitals are parting ways. Ricky Ponting has gone to Punjab (Kings), so maybe Rishabh Pant could be Punjab's new captain, or else Rishabh Pant said that he likes playing in Chennai a lot, so maybe it was Chennai (Super Kings). However, there is a report on Cricbuzz that says that a full stop should be put on all the rumors. Rishabh Pant will be with the Delhi Capitals. A deal has been sealed with an inflated figure. Well done Delhi, this is one job you have done well. Keep him with you, you won't get anyone again like him," stated Chopra, in a video shared on his YouTube channel.
You stay there and make Delhi the champions: Chopra
Chopra also confirmed that the instances where the official handle of the Punjab Kings congratulated Pant for his sixth Test century which came up against Bangladesh as well as his confession that he loved playing in Chennai during one of the press conferences were just mere coincidences and that they shouldn't be read into too much.
"As soon as Rishabh scored a century recently, the handles of different franchises wished him, among which we prominently displayed the Punjab handle on JioCinema. Then the rumor was whether he is going to Punjab because Ricky Ponting and Rishabh Pant were together for many years. They get along really well. However, it's been heard that's not the case. When he scored a century in Chennai, he said he likes playing there, and he loves Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) a lot. Again, the rumor market was hot that Rishabh Pant will play for CSK, but that's also not happening, it seems like that. If we trust this report from Cricbuzz, he is going to stay at Delhi," noted Chopra.
The former Delhi state player also added that Pant staying with Delhi might just be a title-winning factor for both the state team as well as the IPL franchise. He also made a mention of the other players the report suggested would be retained by the Capitals.
"He was already at 16 crores, he will get huge money, and I like it. You stay there and make Delhi the champions. Delhi doesn't win anything. The last time they won the Ranji Trophy was in 2007-08, we were playing that time. After that, they have not won the Ranji and have not won the IPL to date. They might win it under him. The other names that are floating around are Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, and Jake Fraser-McGurk. If only five are allowed to be retained, the focus will be slightly more on these five, it's written like that in that report. I think it's par for the course. It's absolutely on expected lines," added Chopra.
Pant guided the Capitals to the playoffs three seasons in a row from 2019 to 2021. Considering the barren run that the franchise has gone through since the 2021 edition, Chopra might just be right in his scrutiny regarding Pant being one of the catalysts for Delhi to fuel their title charge.
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