Rishabh Pant’s nine-year journey with Delhi Capitals (DC) has come to an unexpected end ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, where he was notably not retained. According to recent reports, Pant was reportedly unhappy with several decisions made by the GMR Group, co-owners of DC, which ultimately led to his departure. This includes dissatisfaction with changes in the coaching staff and curtailment of his role within the team.
The GMR Group, which will oversee the franchise for the 2025-26 cycle, reportedly appointed Hemang Badani as head coach and Venugopal Rao as Director of Cricket, moves that did not sit well with Pant. Furthermore, there were discussions within DC’s management about transferring the captaincy from Pant to Axar Patel, which may have influenced Pant’s decision to seek opportunities with a different franchise.
This transition of power within DC stems from their 50-50 ownership, with the JSW and GMR groups alternately managing the team every two years. Under GMR’s current cycle, DC also parted ways with head coach Ricky Ponting, who had served for seven years, as well as Sourav Ganguly, who held the position of Director of Cricket.
Having been retained through two previous mega auctions since his DC debut in 2016, Pant’s departure marks a significant shift, as DC begins a new chapter under a revamped leadership structure.