Rishabh Pant's shocking revelation: 'My only focus was Punjab during the IPL auction'

Moments after Lucknow Super Giants principal owner Sanjiv Goenka announced Rishabh Pant as the new captain of the franchise for the upcoming 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Indian star made a surprising revelation. Pant confessed that he was feeling tense on the day of the mega auction, fearing that he might be picked up by Punjab Kings instead.

Rumours were rife that Pant could either be picked by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) or Punjab King (PBKS). For CSK, the speculation pertained around his close connection with the legendary MS Dhoni, with Chennai possibly looking at Pant as his heir. On the other hand, with former Delhi Capitals head coach Rick Ponting joining the PBKS camp, there arose a possibility that the wicketkeeper-batter could join the franchise to reunite with the Aussie.

When asked on Star Sports on Monday about the rumours around the IPL auction, Pant revealed that his only fear was that he could land in Punjab, given they had the biggest purse. However, he admitted that the tension reduced after Shreyas Iyer as roped in by the franchise for INR 26.75 crore.

“I only had one tension, that was Punjab (laughs). They had the highest purse. When Shreyas went to Punjab, I felt I could make it to LSG. There was a possibility. But eventually, with auction you never know, so I just thought I would wait and watch, and had my fingers crossed,” he said.

Pant named new LSG captain

After Pant was released by Delhi ahead of the auction in Jeddah, LSG acquired the India star for record price of INR 27 crore. Goenka, speaking to Star Sports, revealed that Pant was always part of their plan and that they had designed the team around it.

"The amount of strategising that was done revolved around Rishabh, it was done keeping him in mind," Goenka mentioned while confirming Pant as the captain. "I think, time will prove that he is not only the most expensive player of IPL but also the best player of IPL," Goenka added after being asked ‘why Pant?’

Stay informed with the latest updates on live cricket score, cricket players, match schedules and ICC rankings. Keep an eye on your favourite cricket team, including the stellar performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Check out the cricket schedule, WTC 2025 Points Table track team standings and dive into player stats and rankings on Crickit powered by Hindustan Times website and app. .freemium-card h4{color:#fff; padding-bottom:20px;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{padding-bottom:16px; color:#fff;} .freemium-card .freemium-content{width: auto; max-width: inherit;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{max-width:inherit; font-size:18px; padding-top:0; line-height:24px} .freemium-card .btnSubc{margin} .freemium-card .btnSubc a{background:#000; color:#fff; min-width:auto; padding:5px 15px; border-radius:6px; font-size:16px; line-height:22px; font-weight:700;} .freemium-card{height:285px} @media (max-width: 767px) { .freemium-card h4{font-size:28px} .freemium-card .freemium-content{max-width:360px; padding: 20px;} .freemium-card{height:303px; background-position: 100% 0; } }