For the first time, franchises can retain 6 players before the mega auction.
According to multiple reports, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals will release their captains Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant respectively. However, former Indian player Irfan Pathan feels that both the players will be retained by his franchise.
For the first time, the franchise can retain 6 players before the mega auction. But a maximum of five capped players can be retained. These players can be retained in the auction from the beginning or through Right to Match (RTM) cards.
Posting from his X handle, Irfan Pathan wrote, “If Shreyas Iyer is not retained even after leading the team to the IPL title, it will be a real loss. Hopefully Delhi will also work to retain Rishabh Pant – his potential as both a player and captain is massive, along with his market value.”
If Shreyas Iyer isn’t retained after leading the team to an IPL title, it’d be a real loss. hoping Delhi also works to keep Rishabh Pant—his potential as both a player and captain, along with his market value, is massive. #IPLRetention
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) October 30, 2024
Iyer and Pant expected to come in the auction
It is reported that Shreyas, who led KKR to the title in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, is expected to participate in the auction. According to ESPNcricinfo, Iyer is ready to move along with Andre Russell and Mitchell Starc.
Iyer was KKR’s most expensive buy in the last mega auction in 2022. He was bought for Rs 12.25 crore and KKR selected him as the captain. The right-handed batsman missed the 2023 edition due to a back injury, but made a comeback in 2022 and 2024.
At the same time, Pant is also considering ending his journey with Delhi. He captained Delhi Capitals in three IPL editions.
IPL stats of Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant
Talking about the IPL statistics of both, Iyer has scored 3127 runs in 115 matches at an average of 32.24 and strike rate of 127.48. During this period, he has scored 21 half-centuries, in which his best score is 96 runs.
Whereas Pant has scored 3284 runs in 111 matches at an average of 35.31 and strike rate of 148.93. Which includes 18 half-centuries and one century.