Pant Rejects Gavaskar's Assessment, Says Did Not Leave DC Due to Disagreement Over Retention Fee

Rishabh Pant on Tuesday rejected legendary Sunil Gavaskar's assessment that India wicketkeeper-batter left Delhi Capitals due to disagreement over his retention fee ahe of mega auction of Indian Premier League.

Pant, who captained Delhi Capitals last year after making a comeback from a horrific car accident, is among marquee players who were not retained by ir franchises. He is expected to be one of most sought-after players when auction takes place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on November 24 and 25.

"My retention wasn't about money for sure that I can say," Pant wrote on X, responding to a brocaster video showing Gavaskar talking about auction dynamics.

Gavaskar said while he expects Delhi Capitals to rope in Pant once again, he also wondered if re was a disagreement over fee between franchise and player.

" auction dynamics are completely different; we don't really know how it will go. But what I feel is that Delhi would certainly want Rishabh Pant back in squ," Gavaskar told Star Sports.

"Sometimes, when a player is to be retained, re is talk between franchise and player and franchise about fees that are expected." "As you can see, some of players who have been retained by franchise, y've gone for more than say, what No 1 retention fee deduction would be. Clearly I think, maybe re was some disagreement over re," he said.

Gavaskar said Delhi Capitals will have to look for a new captain as well if Pant is not re in roster.

"My feeling is that Delhi would definitely want Pant back because y need a captain as well. If Rishabh Pant is not in ir squ n y have to look for a new captain. My feeling is (that) Delhi would definitely go for Rishabh Pant," he said.

Pant, along with or former captains Shreyas Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders) and KL Rahul (Lucknow Super Giants), is listed at a base price of Rs 2 crore each among marquee Indian players.

Pant has always been a part of Delhi franchise since his IPL debut in 2016, scoring 3,284 runs at 35.31 with one century and 18 fifties in 111 matches.