23 November,2024 08:01 AM IST | Kolkata | PTI
Delhi Capitals’ Rishabh Pant at the Wankhede Stadium last year. Pic/Satej Shinde
The "X-factor" that Rishabh Pant offers will trigger a bidding war for him in Sunday's IPL mega auction in Jeddah and the wicketkeeper-batter could smash the Rs 25 crore barrier, reckoned former India batter Suresh Raina.
Kolkata Knight Riders shelled out Rs 24.75 crore to acquire the services of Australian pacer Mitchell Starc ahead of IPL 2024, the highest in the tournament's history, and Raina felt it could be broken this time.
"More than his batting and keeping, he's a great character to have in the team when he is a captain. Any owner or coach would not like to miss his X-factor," Raina, IPL Expert, JioStar, said.
So will Pant break the Rs 25-crore mark? "I think he will go for more than that. Punjab, Delhi, KKR, and RCB have the money. So, when he comes to the auction, expect him to go 4-5 crores higher than Rs 25 crore," said Raina, the first player to breach the 5000-run mark in IPL history. Highlighting Pant's on-field energy and rapport with players, Raina, a four-time IPL winner with Chennai Super Kings, said: "He has that strength, the bonding he has with players, and everyone wants to play under him, which makes him special."
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"No one will leave him. This is a three-year auction. If you're getting Pant for three years. CSK don't have that budget, but I definitely see him going to RCB or maybe as the captain of KKR. He will bring a lot of fans if he goes to KKR," the former India left-hander added. Royal Challengers Bengaluru needs a captain after releasing Faf du Plessis, and Raina said they have many options in the auction room like KL Rahul, Pant or can even go back to Du Plessis.
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