 "Not just Rishabh Pant, Delhi Capitals have a history of letting go of potential and established superstars")
Delhi Capitals (DC) recently decided to part ways with their skipper Rishabh Pant ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. Pant was an integral part of the Capitals ever since making his IPL debut back in 2016. He took over captaincy from Shreyas Iyer during the 2021 IPL season and has been the team’s skipper ever since.
This is barring 2023, when David Warner led DC in Pant’s absence after the wicketkeeper-batter missed the season due to injuries he sustained during a car accident in December 2022.
DC IPL Retention | Capitals retain three capped players with immense potential, likely to target Shreyas Iyer in auction
News agency PTI recently reported that Pant was unhappy with the GMR Group’s decision to appoint Hemang Badani as head coach and Venugopal Rao as Director of Cricket. For the next two years, GMR Group will have control over DC’s cricketing operations in the IPL, with JSW Sports as the other co-owner.
This is, however, not the first time DC have parted ways with an established cricketer or a player with immense potential. We take a look at previous such instances here:
Kevin Pietersen
The former England cricketer had been released by Delhi Daredevils ahead of the 2015 IPL season in order to have a larger purse for the 2015 IPL Player Auction. Pietersen, who played for Daredevils between 2012 and 2014, in fact, had an underwhelming season in 2014, scoring just 294 runs from 11 matches with just one fifty. Pietersen was DD’s captain in 2014 when they had finished eighth and last with just four points.
AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers was one of the biggest names released before the 2011 IPL Auction. In 2010 IPL, the former South Africa cricketer had scored just 111 runs from seven matches. He spent three seasons with the Daredevils, but then was acquired by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2011 for Rs 5 crore. The rest, as they say, is history!
Impact Shorts
More ShortsGlenn Maxwell
Ahead of the 2019 IPL auction, Australia’s Glenn Maxwell had been released by Delhi Daredevils. Another notable name that was released at the same time was current India coach and former Daredevils captain Gautam Gambhir.
Gambhir had a forgettable IPL season in 2018, scoring just 85 runs in six matches before being dropped altogether. He stepped down as captain, and Shreyas Iyer took over. Maxwell, too, had a pretty ordinary outing in IPL 2018, scoring 169 runs and taking five wickets.
Shreyas Iyer
An underwhelming season with the bat in IPL 2021 and losing captaincy to Rishabh Pant saw Shreyas Iyer getting released by Delhi Capitals before the 2022 IPL mega auction.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) eventually snapped up Iyer at the IPL 2022 mega auction for a whopping Rs 12.25 crore. He guided them to an IPL title in 2024.
Chris Morris
Former South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris had been released by Delhi Capitals ahead of the IPL 2020 auction. He played for RCB in IPL 2020, scoring 34 runs and taking 11 wickets, but was released before the 2011 IPL auction. At the IPL 2021 auction, Rajasthan Royals snapped him up for Rs 16.25 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL auction history during that time.
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