Why Rishabh Pant going to Chennai Super Kings could be the best move?

Indian wicket keeper and batter Rishabh Pant has been released by Delhi Capitals ahead of the IPL 2025 auctions. There are reports that Chennai Super Kings are set to show massive interest in the 27-year-old. With MS Dhoni on his last legs as an active cricketer, the time is right for CSK to go big. 

Delhi Capitals owner Parth Jindal hasn’t ruled a move to bring Rishabh Pant back to the team. Speaking to Jio Cinema, Parth Jindal said “Going into the auction, we will have two RTM cards and that leaves the door open for players who have worn the DC shirt in the past, to carry on with us. We know who we want and will make sure to get some if not all the players back,”

Chennai Super Kings have spent INR 65 crores in retaining their star players. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja were retained for 18 Crores each. Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana and Shivam Dube are set to stay for INR 13 and 12 Crores each. Meanwhile, former skipper MS Dhoni was given INR 4 crores to be retained as an uncapped player. CSK now have INR 55 crores left ahead of the IPL 2025 auctions. 

IPL 2025: List of all players retained by Chennai Super Kings and RTMs available for them ahead of mega auction

Why Rishabh Pant to CSK makes sense?

Considering MS Dhoni is perhaps in his last season, Chennai could be looking at a long-term successor. Rishabh Pant for years has been touted as a natural replacement for MS Dhoni. The 27-year-old will bring in massive experience not only as a player but also as a potential skipper. 

Pant’s record in Chennai has been amazing with the bat. The left-handed batter scored a century in the recent Test against Bangladesh and also scored 92 against England. In a huge coincidence, MS Dhoni was around the same age when he came to Chennai Super Kings in 2008. 

The men in yellow with INR 55 Crores can go all out for Rishabh Pant. The youngster can also be drafted in as the leading wicketkeeper of the side. MS Dhoni can be used as an impact player in case the former Indian legend wants to prolong his career. 

In terms of longevity, and also as a potential captain, Chennai will be looking towards Pant to step into Dhoni’s shoes. Buying someone like Pant will also increase the pressure on regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad to bring the title home. 

Another key aspect is that Rishabh Pant could move to CSK because the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side has a penchant to win titles. This is something that must have prompted Pant to seek the move away from Delhi. In Chennai, the 27-year-old will not only have the chance to win a title but also will be paid handsomely. This will also make Pant one of the best-paid stars in IPL which is something he was reportedly looking for.