Rishabh Pant is maintained by the old Dili 6; Availability is still uncertain

A couple of days before the much-awaited Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025 auction, Purani Dilli 6 have announced their sole retention. And unsurprisingly, it is the biggest name in the tournament – Rishabh Pant. The Indian Test vice-captain will continue to wear the yellow and blue of Purani Dilli 6, and thus won’t be part of the DPL men’s auction, scheduled for July 6 in New Delhi.

Rishabh Pant to captain Purani Dilli 6 again?

“Purani Dilli 6 has officially announced the retention of star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant for the upcoming season. Pant has been retained as the marquee player,” the franchise stated in a media release as per PTI.

Mind you, Rishabh Pant was the biggest name in the inaugural season of the Delhi Premier League last year as well. However, he played only one game, which was also the first match of the season. In that particular appearance, Pant made a struggling 32-ball 35 that came in a losing cause.

“Many players from across the country have emerged and developed through the opportunities provided by the DPL, such as Digvesh Rathi, Priyansh Arya, among others. Purani Dilli 6 truly feels like home. Following a promising season last year, we are optimistic about returning even stronger this year,” Pant was quoted as saying.

Fascinatingly, Purani Dilli also had other exciting options. Lalit Yadav, who led the franchise for the majority of the season, could’ve been a pick. Meanwhile, Vansh Bedi, who was selected by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at this year’s auction in the IPL, could’ve been exciting too. Prince Yadav and Ayush Singh are two talented pace options as well. Not to mention, Ishant Sharma was part of the Purani Dilli squad last year, but he didn’t feature in the entire tournament.