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DC have decided to retain Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs and Abhishek Porel, and have also kept the option of the Right To Match (RTM) card open for the mega auction
DC skipper Rishabh Pant at the IPL 2024 auction
The Delhi Capitals (DC) have locked their list of retained players, reportedly excluding Rishabh Pant. After representing the franchise for nine years, the wicketkeeper-batter is set to part ways with the franchise.
According to The Times of India, DC have decided to retain Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs and Abhishek Porel, and have also kept the option of the Right To Match (RTM) card open for the mega auction. The franchise was ready to retain Pant but not as their captain. However, the report further stated that the 27-year-old wanted to continue leading DC.
“Rishabh Pant wanted captaincy, wanted to be involved with regards to the appointment of coaches and support staff, but plenty in the DC set-up are not convinced about his T20 game. It wasn’t that they wanted to let him go, but they were clear that they didn’t see him leading the side. And that decision wasn’t an overnight one,” the report quoted a source as saying.
Pant joined DC as a youngster back in 2016 and went on to become their captain before the start of the 2021 edition. He has played 111 matches for DC, scoring 3,284 runs with 18 fifties and a century.
If Not Pant, Then Who?
It will be interesting to see which player gets the responsibility to lead DC in Pant’s absence. Given their reported retentions, the franchise has an option in Axar, but as per the TOI report, the Delhi Capitals might go for Shreyas Iyer.
“Axar Patel is there as an option, but there is a strong possibility of DC exploring options at the mega auction. Plenty of captaincy options are set to enter the mega auction, so wait and watch is going to be the right way forward for DC.
“Shreyas Iyer will definitely be on their radar as he enjoyed a lot of success in the DC set-up and understands the set-up well. A very exciting set of players have been retained, and a solid squad can be built around these names,” the source added.
