Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) newly-appointed captain Rishabh Pant was asked about his staggering IPL price tag. Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in the history of IPL, after LSG bought him for a whopping Rs 27 crore in the mega auction held in Jeddah.
Following his appointment as LSG captain on Monday, January 20, Pant clarified that financial gains are not his primary focus. However, he admitted that receiving less money than anticipated in the auction would undoubtedly be disappointing, as it would be for anyone. However, he explained that he has made a conscious effort to minimize the influence of money on his mindset. Pant stated that he constantly reminds himself that money is merely a byproduct of his on-field performance and not the ultimate goal.
"The thought process is very simple. When I came to the auction, I did not have any price in mind. It did not matter if I was bought for Rs 5 crore or Rs 10 crore in my head. And I had to convince myself of that. It is not easy, but you have to tell yourself that every day, because you do feel disappointed. You have to convince yourself that this (money) is not the priority list; this is only a part of it. Getting that money is amazing, but thinking about it every day should not be the main thing," Rishabh Pant said on Hotstar.
When quizzed about the pressure associated with his hefty price tag, Pant responded that as long as team owner Sanjeev Goenka remained unconcerned, he had no reason for worry.
"If the owner says that he does not have any pressure, then I do not have any pressure (laughs)," Pant added.
Interestingly, prior to the IPL Auction, Rishabh Pant teased his potential departure from his previous franchise, Delhi Capitals, with a tweet. He playfully inquired with his fans and followers about his prospects in the auction, suggesting that he might be leaving the Capitals.
Following the 2025 auction, Delhi Capitals released Rishabh Pant. The franchise opted to retain Axar Patel (Rs 16.5 crore), Kuldeep Yadav (Rs 13.5 crore), Tristan Stubbs (Rs 10 crore), and Abishek Porel (Rs 4 crore).
Following his release, Pant said that his departure from Delhi Capitals was not motivated by financial considerations, although he never provided further details on the matter.
Pant had a decent outing in the IPL 2024 while leading Delhi Capitals. Pant returned to the cricket field after a long injury layoff following his near-fatal car accident in December 2022. He amassed 446 runs riding on three fifties in IPL 2024, however Delhi Capitals had a torrid run in that season. Talking about his overall stats in IPL, he has scored a total of 3284 runs riding on 18 half centuries and a ton.