DC’s priority was Shreyas, was ready to mend ways with Pant: Parth Jindal

Rishabh Pant’s switch from Delhi Capitals (DC) to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a record-shattering Rs 27 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction marked a historic moment in the tournament. However, it came after DC made last-minute attempts to mend their relationship with their former captain. In an exclusive interaction with India Today’s sister handle, Sports Today, JSW CEO and DC co-owner Parth Jindal revealed the franchise’s original plan involved bringing back both Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, highlighting the complexities of this year’s auction strategy.
Jindal addressed the reports of friction between Pant and the DC management, stating that differences arose when Pant expressed a desire to influence decisions regarding the team’s leadership. Despite this, the franchise prioritised reconciliation and used their RTM card during the auction to try to retain him. However, LSG’s monumental Rs 27 crore bid was too high for DC to match, leaving the 27-year-old India wicket-keeper batter to join the Lucknow-based side.
“We were willing to take that chance because of my relationship with Rishabh. Obviously, Delhi has two owners, GMR and JSW, we were all on the same wavelength, Kiran and I, in terms of what we discussed with Rishabh. When we felt that that commitment from his side was not forthcoming, then we felt it was better that he goes into the auction and we target somebody else in the auction,” Parth Jindal said.
“I think we were on different wavelengths. He felt that he felt that he should have a say in some of these things (coach and director of cricket decisions)and we felt that’s a franchise prerogative, so we couldn’t really agree. We agreed to disagree,” he added.
After finishing 6th in IPL 2024 and missing out on the playoffs, Delhi Capitals announced a complete overhaul of their coaching and management roles. Former India batter Hemang Badani replaced Ricky Ponting as head coach, while former cricketer Venugopal Rao stepped in as the new Director of Cricket, succeeding Sourav Ganguly.
Initially, DC’s focus was on reuniting with Shreyas Iyer, who had led the team to the IPL 2020 final. However, their plans were foiled when Punjab Kings outbid them in a fierce battle, securing Iyer for Rs 26.75 crore. Iyer’s price broke Mitchell Starc’s record for the costliest player in IPL history (Rs 24.75 crore), but this record lasted only minutes before Pant’s groundbreaking deal with LSG.
“Having lost our primary target, who was Shreyas Iyer at the auction, and Rishabh coming in after that, then we said it doesn’t matter, we will mend our ways, and we will find a way to make it work with Rishabh,” he added.
There’s genuine love between the franchise and Rishab and Rishab and the franchise as we can see now. So I’m sure we would have been able to sort it out. It would have been a little bit more challenging, but I think Rishabh has that love for and respect for me and I have the same for him so I’m sure we would have been able to sort it out.
Jindal admitted that DC’s strategy involved balancing sentiment and strategy, as both Iyer and Pant were pivotal to the franchise’s identity in the past. While Iyer had captained DC during one of their most successful periods, Pant had led the team to consistent playoff appearances in recent years.
In the wake of losing both Pant and Iyer, DC turned their focus to Lucknow Super Giants’ former skipper KL Rahul. Acquiring him for Rs 14 crore was considered a bargain, especially given his leadership experience, which saw LSG qualify for the playoffs twice in three seasons. Rahul’s signing provides DC with a seasoned captain to guide the team into a new chapter.
While Pant’s move to LSG reshapes both franchises, DC’s acquisition of KL Rahul and their strategic shifts signal their intent to remain competitive in the upcoming IPL season.