Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach Hemang Badani made shocking remarks on wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant after the Indian Premier League 2025 auction. Hemang Badani reacted to Rishabh Pant’s “My retention wasn’t about the money for sure” remark during his interaction with Subramaniam Badrinath.
The Capitals released Pant before the 2025 mega auction. This decision raised eyebrows among fans and cricket experts. The left-handed batter had been with DC since 2016. He led the team in 2022 and 2024. Pant took to social media to clarify that his retention for the IPL 2025 wasn’t about money.
Rishabh Pant Wanted To Go To The Auction – Hemang Badani
Hemang Badani refuted Rishabh Pant’s claims that his decision wasn’t about money. Badani said that Pant wanted more money than the offer. He stated that Delhi Capitals wanted to retain Pant through multiple calls and messages. Badani emphasized that to retain a player, both parties must agree.
“He didn’t want to stay. He wanted to go to the auction. He wanted to test the market. To retain a player, you need both parties’ consent. We spoke to him, we spoke to the management, and we had phone calls and messages,” Badani said.
“He said he wants to go to the auction and test the market. He feels he has a better chance of getting the highest return. The highest return was only 18 crores. At the end of the day, he felt he was worth more. The market said the same thing. He got 27 crores. Good for him. He’s a good player. We’ll obviously miss him, but life goes on. We wish him the best,” the former Indian cricketer added.
“Rishab Said It Not About The Money” But The Head Coach Of @DelhiCapitals Said “Rishab Pant Wanted More Money Than The 1st Retention, We Tried Our Best, We Called & Messaged Him May Times But He Was Keen On Going To Auction To Get More Money”#IPLAuction
VC: @s_badrinath YTC. pic.twitter.com/P8d2StRYcK
— SURENDER SINGH 💗 (@Surende26790545) December 7, 2024
Hemang Badani Appointed as Delhi Capitals Head Coach Before Mega Auction
Hemang Badani was appointed as the head coach of Delhi Capitals for IPL 2025. He replaced Ricky Ponting, who was removed after seven years. DC finished sixth last season, marking their third consecutive year without making the playoffs.
Badani played 4 Tests and 40 ODIs between 2000 and 2004. He struggled in Tests with an average of just 15.66, but he made valuable contributions in ODIs, scoring a century and four half-centuries. He batted primarily in the middle to lower-middle order.
Rishabh Pant Became Most Expensive Player in IPL Auction History
Rishabh Pant became the highest-paid player in IPL history, with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) securing him for Rs 27 crore. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) withdrew from the bid when his price reached Rs 11 crore. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) then joined the bidding and increased the price.
LSG’s bid of Rs 20.75 crore became the winning offer, but after Delhi Capitals (DC) used their Right to Match (RTM), the Super Giants then raised their bid to ₹27 crore, which DC chose not to match. Pant surpassed the previous record of Rs 26.75 crore, set by his former teammate Shreyas Iyer.
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