The preparation for the mega auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is about to begin, as recent reports have suggested that the five-times champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is planning to be without the icon of the franchise- Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and is trying to replace him with a young wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant.
The former Indian captain is likely to end his career in the game next year, as he has already appointed their opener of the team- Ruturaj Gaikwad the new successor in the captaincy role, on the eve of last year’s event.
The biggest issue for the Super Kings has been to find the on-field replacement of Dhoni, who has been the whole franchise himself on his own since its beginning. He has given the Yellow Army so many fond memories to cherish. To grab his positions, the team would be looking for someone who could take responsibility, and who would be better than young Rishabh Pant.
Rishabh Pant’s potential inclusion to power CSK’s middle-order
Rishabh Pant has been a regular member of the Delhi Capitals (DC) since joining the side before he was retained as the captain of the franchise. The franchise is set to be certain about the retention of the India wicket-keeper batter, despite having support from their director of cricket, Sourav Ganguly.
This has led to speculations over the future of the left-handed batter with the franchise and whether he would be traded before the 2025 season. The Dainik Jagran has reported that a source within the CSK camp has revealed that whenever Dhoni retires, the 2023 champions would be looking to get the services of India’s top wicket-taker batter.
The Uttarakhand-born has smashed 3284 runs in 110 innings, at an average of 35.31 and a strike rate of under 150, with 18 half-centuries and a best-of 128-run knock. Rishabh Pant’s incredible talent of socking the pressure with some extraordinary shots both against the pacers and spinner has made him one of the vital members of any T20 side.
Over the years, his keeping skills have got better too, which will be quite vital if he goes on to be part of the Chennai side, and is needed to keep wickets against the quality spinners at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
His T20I numbers are not that good, as he has smacked 1158 runs in 64 innings, at an average of under 23 and a strike rate of 126.7, with the help of three fifties.
CSK finished fifth in the 2024 season, with a balanced performance that saw them winning seven and losing as many as contests. Gaikwad was excellent with his captaincy responsibilities, besides scoring runs for the entire IPL, before being knocked out of the tournament getting defeated in their last group game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
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Delhi has been undergoing some of the changes in their whole team, having already parted ways with their head coach- the former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, after a seven-year tenure. This reshuffle could impact their decisions regarding the retention of the players and their trades before the auction.
It’s still unknown how many retentions would be allowed for the franchise. If CSK is successful in making the move, they can look to build a team for the future. However, the final decision will depend on DC deciding to release Rishabh Pant, and then CSK navigating the process quite smartly.