The IPL season is just around the corner and the mood in the Delhi Capitals, isn’t filled with excitement as it is seen in previous years. The Capitals will be missing their captain and wicketkeeper Risabh Pant who is on the road to recovery after meeting with an accident last year.
David Warner will lead the Capitals in the upcoming season but the Delhi Capitals CEO Dheeraj Malhotra clearly stated that they will miss Pant’s presence in their camp in the ongoing IPL season.
When asked about Pant’s impact as a captain and also as a batter, Malhotra shared that it is a big blow for the team as they have to fill those gaps with multiple players as he was a multi faceted player who brought many skills together providing immense balance.
“100 per cent. Not only was he a captain, but he was also our really strong No. 4, No. 5, wicket-keeper batter, who controls the game from behind the stumps. There was no bowler who could stop him. We will miss him for sure,” Malhotra replied.
However he wants Pant to recover fully and expects the swashbucking keeper-batter to return much better and stronger. “But this is sport. Injuries can happen to anybody. The accident he had was horrible, but we are just really glad that he came out of it strong. We are really grateful that he is on his way to recovery and hopefully should be back fitter and stronger,” he added.
Malhotra expresses his desire of having Pant at the dugout atleast in a few home games. Even head coach Ricky Ponting has also demanded the same. However with Pant in rehabilitation, it depends on BCCI and their discretion.
“The plan is to get him, for sure. But again, the dugout is totally controlled by the BCCI. Let’s see if they can make an exception. We will request him in some of the home games. He’s also in his rehab. So, it also depends on how much he will be available,” Malhotra concluded.
It will be interesting to see how things pan out for the Delhi Capitals especially with Warner’s captaincy and how they find that correct balance in their playing XI in Pant’s absence.
