"A deal has been sealed with an inflated figure" - Aakash Chopra on rumors about Rishabh Pant leaving the Delhi Capitals

Aakash Chopra reckons that Rishabh Pant, contrary to rumors, will stay with the Delhi Capitals (DC) for IPL 2025. He highlighted that a media report suggests a retention deal has been struck for an exorbitant sum.

The Capitals finished sixth in IPL 2024 under Pant's leadership. The wicketkeeper-batter was the franchise's highest run-scorer this season, amassing 446 runs at a strike rate of 155.40 in 13 innings.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that rumors about Pant leaving the Delhi Capitals have virtually been dispelled.

"Rishabh Pant is not going anywhere. There were rumors that Rishabh Pant and the Delhi Capitals are parting ways. Ricky Ponting has gone to Punjab (Kings), so maybe Rishabh Pant could be Punjab's new captain, or else Rishabh Pant said that he likes playing in Chennai a lot, so maybe it was Chennai (Super Kings)," he said (0:01).

"However, there is a report on Cricbuzz that says that a full stop should be put on all the rumors. Rishabh Pant will be with the Delhi Capitals. A deal has been sealed with an inflated figure. Well done Delhi, this is one job you have done well. Keep him with you, you won't get anyone again like him," the former India opener added.

Chopra highlighted that Ricky Ponting's move to the Punjab Kings, as well as Pant scoring a century in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai and saying he likes playing at the venue, had led to rumors that he might be moving to either the Punjab Kings or the Chennai Super Kings.

"As soon as Rishabh scored a century recently, the handles of different franchises wished him, among which we prominently displayed the Punjab handle on JioCinema. Then the rumor was whether he is going to Punjab because Ricky Ponting and Rishabh Pant were together for many years. They get along really well. However, it's been heard that's not the case," he observed.

"When he scored a century in Chennai, he said he likes playing there, and he loves Mahi Bhai (MS Dhoni) a lot. Again the rumor market was hot that Rishabh Pant will play for CSK, but that's also not happening, it seems like that. If we trust this report from Cricbuzz, he is going to stay at Delhi," the former Kolkata Knight Riders player added.

Pant scored 109 runs off 128 deliveries in India's second innings of the Chennai Test against Bangladesh. He also scored a 52-ball 39 in the first essay, bailing the hosts out of trouble in both innings.

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"You stay there and make Delhi the champions" - Aakash Chopra to Rishabh Pant

In the same video, Aakash Chopra urged Rishabh Pant to stay with the Delhi Capitals and lead them to their maiden IPL title.

"He was already at 16 crores, he will get huge money, and I like it. You stay there and make Delhi the champions. Delhi doesn't win anything. The last time they won the Ranji Trophy was in 2007-08, we were playing that time. After that, they have not won the Ranji and have not won the IPL to date. They might win it under him," he said (2:50).

The cricketer-turned-commentator also concurred with reports that Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs and Jake Fraser-McGurk should be the other potential retentions for the Delhi Capitals.

"The other names that are floating around are Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs and Jake Fraser-McGurk. If only five are allowed to be retained, the focus will be slightly more on these five, it's written like that in that report. I think it's par for the course. It's absolutely on expected lines," Chopra stated.

Stubbs and Fraser-McGurk, with 378 and 330 runs respectively, followed Pant in the Capitals' run-scoring charts in IPL 2024. Kuldeep and Axar picked up 16 and 11 wickets respectively this season, with the latter also contributing 235 runs with the bat.