New Delhi, Oct 29: Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh backed captain Rishabh Pant, all-rounder Axar Patel and hard-hitting batter Tristan Stubbs as likely retentions of the Delhi Capitals ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction later this year.

With the players' retention deadline approaching soon, all IPL franchises are brainstorming and finalising their six members to retain or use the Right to Match (RTM) card before heading to the auction market.

Wicketkeeper batter Pant, who made his international comeback in the IPL 2024 earlier this year, will surely be Delhi's first player to be retained, while Axar being the experienced Indian player, would fall second on the priority list, as per the veteran spinner. Harbhajan feels that South Africa's Stubbs should also be retained by the Delhi-based franchise.

"We have heard a lot of speculation on whether Rishabh Pant will be retained or not. Time will tell, but if I was a part of the management there, then I would have retained him. Rishabh Pant should be retained. Axar Patel should be retained. Stubbs should be retained," Harbhajan told Star Sports.

Pant and Stubbs were the top scorers for the side in the IPL 2024, scoring three half-centuries each in the season and playing at a strike rate of over 150.

The 44-year-old further named Jake Fraser-McGurk and Mitchell Marsh as Delhi's possible retentions after their decent run in the last edition.

"And the 4th player to be retained will be Fraser McGurk. And if you want to retain the 5th player, then it could be Mitch Marsh. Apart from that, I think there is no other player that you would want to retain. Out of those 5 players, I think Delhi Capitals should retain at least 4 of them," the former India spinner said.

Delhi Capitals finished sixth in the points table with 14 points in as many games and missed out on the knockout round. The team will look to rebuild their squad in the mega auction to boost their title hopes next year.

--IANS

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