New Delhi (India): Parth Jindal, co-owner of the Delhi Capitals (DC), addressed the franchise’s split with star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, explaining that the departure was due to differences in philosophies regarding franchise management, not financial concerns.
Pant made headlines when he became the most expensive player in IPL history, as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) acquired him for Rs 27 crore during the IPL mega auction held in Jeddah on Sunday. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Jindal stated, “It was just a different philosophy of how he wanted the franchise to operate and how we—the owners—wanted the franchise to operate. That is what caused it. It has nothing to do with money. Money has never been an issue for Rishabh, and money’s never been an issue for us.”
Jindal added that although he and Pant tried to make things work, their visions for the franchise were simply not aligned. “I guess the three of us (Kiran Grandhi, Jindal, and Pant) were on different wavelengths,” he explained. “He took a call at the end of it. We tried everything, but he decided eventually that it was time to move on.”
On a personal level, Parth Jindal expressed that the split was “devastating” for him. “I love the boy like my own brother. He took a call at the end of the day. We tried our best. He made the decision, and we have to respect it,” he said, acknowledging the emotional toll of the situation.
Leadership aspirations were also a point of discussion, but Jindal clarified that it was not a major factor in Pant’s departure. “We gave him some feedback regarding leadership. We suggested ways he could improve, but we were quite clear about his ambitions. We know where he wants to go. He has made it amply clear that his dream and desire is to captain India, and that starts with captaining an IPL team,” Jindal added.
Rishabh Pant, a key player for India across all formats, has been a vital part of the Delhi Capitals since 2016, amassing 3,284 runs in 110 IPL matches. He led the team to the playoffs in 2021 and was appointed captain that same year. His all-format prowess and aggressive batting have made him a cornerstone of Indian cricket, and his T20 numbers stand impressive, with 5,022 runs in 202 matches, including two centuries and 25 fifties.
Delhi Capitals Squad Overview:
- Batters: Jake Fraser-McGurk (RTM), Harry Brook, Tristan Stubbs (retained), Faf du Plessis, Karun Nair.
- Wicketkeepers: KL Rahul, Abishek Porel (retained), Donovan Ferreira.
- Allrounders: Axar Patel (spin; retained), Ashutosh Sharma (spin), Sameer Rizvi (spin), Darshan Nalkande (pace), Vipraj Nigam (spin), Ajay Mandal (spin), Manvanth Kumar (pace), Tripurana Vijay (spin), Madhav Tiwari (pace).
- Spinners: Kuldeep Yadav (retained).
- Fast bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan, Mohit Sharma, Dushmantha Chameera.
With the loss of Pant, the Delhi Capitals will look to regroup and continue to strengthen their squad for the upcoming IPL season.