Australian opener David Warner will captain the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 in the absence of their regular skipper Rishabh Pant. Warner wished the Indian wicketkeeper-batter a speedy recovery from injury and wanted him to cheer them.
Delhi Capitals in a recent announcement appointed David Warner as their captain for the upcoming season and Axar Patel to be his deputy. The franchise came up with a special video in which David Warner spoke about his captaincy expectation with Delhi Capitals.
David Warner said that they were motivated to win the championship this year and added that team will always support Rishabh Pant through his recovery process.
“We are motivated every season, but we are motivated even more to lift the title this year in your absence. We are going to be on the journey of your recovery with you. We are going to send some special messages and hopefully, you can come to one of our games,” Warner said in a statement.
"From us, to you." ?
A ? message from Skipper Davey & the team for #RP17 ?#YehHaiNayiDilli | @davidwarner31 | @RishabhPant17 pic.twitter.com/2xnTaEwv5F
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) March 17, 2023
Further, David Warner added the Delhi Capitals family wish him a speedy recovery and wants him to come to a few matches to support the Delhi Capitals. Earlier, Ricky Ponting too wanted Rishabh Pant to be part of the dressing room if possible so that he can bring positive energy to the team.
“On behalf of the DC family, I would like to wish you all the best and a speedy recovery,” David Warner said.
David Warner also has the experience of leading an IPL franchise, as he was the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad–and also led the side to their maiden IPL title in the year 2016. Delhi Capitals failed to reach the playoff stage in the 2022 season as they lost their last league match against Mumbai Indians. Under the leadership of Warner, Delhi Capitals will look for their first title in the tournament.
Axar Patel Was Named As Deputy For David Warner In Delhi Capitals
Indian all-rounder Axar Patel was a potential captaincy candidate, but the management eventually decided to go with the more experienced Warner. Indian all-rounder Axar Patel will be his deputy, Axar is also a quality all-rounder and someone who has taken his game a notch higher in recent years.
Delhi Capitals will have a huge void to fill in the absence of Rishabh Pant. It remains unknown whether Phit Salt or Sarfaraz Khan will take the gloves behind the stumps. Delhi Capitals will get their campaign underway on April 1 against Lucknow Super Giants after the first match of the 2023 season.