Rishabh Pant will captain Delhi Capitals in the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League, announced the franchise on Tuesday, 19 March via an official statement. The wicketkeeper-batter is making a return to professional cricket after 14 months, and has been a part of the Delhi Capitals pre-season preparatory camp in Vizag.
Pant has not played competitive cricket since December 2022, when he unfortunately suffered a near-fatal accident while driving to his home in Roorkee. Pant put in an incredible amount of effort over the last year to recover from multiple injuries in his body.
The wicketkeeper-batter was declared fit by the Board of Control for Cricket in India just ahead of the Indian Premier League. Delhi Capitals move would come as a huge news for the fans who have been eagerly waiting to see Pant back in action.
IPL 2024: Delhi Capitals Preview
Pant kept his fans updated on his fitness journey throughout his recovery, posting small snippets of the training. Pant had been batting and wicketkeeping for the last couple of months at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
Speaking on the occasion, DC chairman and co-owner Parth Jindal said that Pant had shown a lot of grit during his road to recovery.
“We are delighted to welcome Rishabh back as our Captain. Grit and fearlessness have always dictated his brand of cricket, and not surprisingly, even his road to recovery. I can’t wait to see him walk our team out once again as we look forward to a new season with renewed passion, vigour and enthusiasm,” Jindal said via a statement.
In 2023, the Delhi Capitals were led by Australia opener David Warner. Warner’s team did not have a good time in the Indian Premier League and finished in the second-last spot in the points table, after winning just 5 of their 14 matches.
The team have brought in the services of Tristan Stubbs, Kumar Kushagra, Jhye Richardson and Jake Fraser-McGurk this season. The team is expected to be bolstered by the presence of Pant, who might play as an Impact Player in IPL 2024 to reduce load on his body.
The Delhi Capitals will be up against Punjab Kings in their first match of IPL 2024 in Chandigarh on 23 March.
IPL 2024: DC SQUAD
Batters: David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Swastik Chikara, Yash Dhull,
All-rounders: Axar Patel, Jake Fraser-Mcgurk, Lalit Yadav, Mitchell Marsh, Sumit Kumar
Wicketkeepers: Rishabh Pant, Abishek Porel, Kumar Kushagra, Ricky Bhui, Shai Hope, Tristan Stubbs
Bowlers: Anrich Nortje, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Jhye Richardson, Khaleel Ahmed, Pravin Dubey, Rasikh Dar, Vicky Ostwal
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