New Delhi: IPL 2024 starts on March 22 and ahead of the forthcoming edition, Delhi Captais’ team director, Sourav Ganguly, delgihted the fans as he shed light on Rishabh Pant’s return.
Delhi Capitals’ regular captain Rishabh Pant is poised for a comeback in the upcoming IPL season and is expected to join the team camp on March 5th after receiving clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Ganguly revealed that Pant, who missed the last season because of ligament tear in his knee, is likely to recieve a medically fit certificate from NCA and will join the DC camp.
Pant has been diligently working on his recovery after a near-fatal car accident last year, missing major tournaments like IPL 2023, the WTC Final, the Asia Cup, and the ODI World Cup.
“He has made every effort to regain his fitness, and that’s why the National Cricket Academy will approve him. We will discuss the backup options for captaincy only after Rishabh is cleared on March 5. We are being cautious with him because he has a long career ahead of him, and we don’t want to rush him back too soon out of excitement,” said Ganguly in an interview with The Times of India.
While his return is highly anticipated, officials are taking a cautious approach due to the severity of his injuries, which included ligament tears in both knees. He is touted to return initially as an impact player with wicketkeeping duties entrusted to other players like Kumar Kushagra, Ricky Bhui, Shai Hope, or Tristan Stubbs.
Despite the limitations, Pant remains the captain of the Delhi Capitals. His leadership capabilities and cricketing experience are still valued by the team, and a final decision on the captaincy will be made based on his performance and recovery progress.
Last year Delhi Capitals heavily missed Pant’s services as they finished ninth on the table in IPL 2023. Notably, DC will take on Punjab Kings in their season opener on March 23.
Related