The Delhi Capitals’ skipper, Ricky Ponting, has expressed his admiration for the team’s wicketkeeper-batter, Rishabh Pant, who is currently recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident. Ponting believes that Pant is the “heart and soul” of the team and suggested that they could honour him by wearing his shirt number on their shirts and caps. These comments were made during a team event in the national capital.
Ponting also acknowledged that Pant’s absence has created a significant void in the DC team. Despite naming David Warner as their skipper for the Indian Premier League (IPL), they have yet to find a suitable replacement for Pant. “Pant is a huge loss, and we are still going to miss him. He is one of the best players in the world in all three formats,” added Ponting.
The Delhi Capitals have several options to replace Pant, including Phil Salt, Manish Pandey, Sarfaraz Khan, Luvnith Sisodia, Sheldon Jackson, Abishek Porel, and Vivek Singh. However, Ponting admits that no matter who comes, it will be difficult to find someone who offers as much quality as Pant.
The IPL 2023 will commence from March 31 onwards, with a match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings. The Delhi Capitals will begin their IPL campaign against the Lucknow SuperGiants on April 1. Their first home game will be against Gujarat Titans on April 4 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
David Warner has been named as the Delhi Capitals’ captain for the upcoming season of the IPL, stepping in for Rishabh Pant, who is currently undergoing rehab and recovery. All-rounder Axar Patel has been named the team’s Vice Captain. The franchise has also announced former India captain Sourav Ganguly as the franchise’s Director of Cricket.
This will be the second time Warner leads the Capitals. In his previous stint with the franchise from 2009 to 2013, he led the side in a couple of matches. The opener was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014, and in 2016, he led the side to their maiden title. Warner is the fifth joint-most successful skipper in terms of matches won, having won 35 out of 69 matches as captain, lost 32, and tied two.