Swashbuckling keeper-batter Rishabh Pant was on Thursday released by the Delhi Capitals while Sunrisers Hyderabad dazzler Heinrich Klaasen (23 crore) pipped RCB talisman Virat Kohli (21 crore) in commanding the highest price among players retained by the IPL franchises.

Kolkata Knight Riders have released skipper Shreyas Iyer as the IPL franchises submitting their list of retentions.

With this, the speculations around who are staying with their franchises and who are entering the auction pool, have ended.

Pant will now be the hottest player in the IPL auction pool after the GMR-run franchise decided to release the India international.

Each franchise carried a combined purse of Rs 120 crore for retention and the mega auction. A team can, at most, retain six players - either by holding on to them before the deadline or the use of Right To Match (RTM) cards at the auction.

A team also has the option to release all of their players and enter the mega auction with six RTM cards, enabling them an option to buy back players at an unrestricted amount.

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