We Are Discussing The Roles The Players Can Take Up During Matches, Says Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant, Delhi Capitals skipper on Monday said the team management has been discussing the roles “players can take up” during matches in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League.

The IPL 15 starts on Saturday with a match between defending champions Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium.

Rishabh Pant : Delhi Capitals Discussing Players Roles Before IPL 2022

Rishabh Pant, who will be leading the Delhi Capitals franchise for the second time after guiding it to the playoffs last year, said every member of the team is in a “good frame of mind” heading into the tournament.

“At the moment, we are trying to understand what do the new players’ need during nets sessions. We are discussing the roles the players can take up during matches and the kind of team environment we would like to set up,” the dashing wicketkeeper-batter said in a press release issued by the franchise.

“We have spoken to the new players about the team environment we’ve had in the last few years,” he added.

The JSW-GMR co-owned Delhi Capitals franchise will be taking the field with a new group of players in the upcoming season. Captain Rishabh Pant attended his first training session with the Delhi Capitals side.

“It seems like the team has been made for the first time. I observed every player during my first practice session with the team and it looks like everybody is in a good frame of mind. Everybody is enjoying each other’s company.”

The 24-year-old cricketer from Delhi, Rishabh Pant was appointed the stand-in captain in the previous edition after regular captain Shreyas Iyer was injured before the start of the season. In the second phase of the IPL 2021 which was held in the UAE, the keeper Rishabh Pant was appointed the permanent captain.

Rishabh Pant Opens Up On Working With Ricky Ponting

Bowlers Shardul Thakur, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, Khaleel Ahmed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav and Lungi Ngidi will assume leadership roles with their variations to complement pacer Anrich Nortje and spinner Axar Patel, both of whom were retained.

Speaking about working with head coach Ricky Ponting for the second time as skipper, Rishabh Pant said, “It’s always special meeting Ricky Ponting. Whenever I meet him, it feels like I am meeting a family member. And he always brings the energy out of every player on the field. Everyone looks up to him and waits for him to say something different.”

David Warner and Mitchell Marsh, the MOS of the 2021 T20I World Cup and MOM of the final, respectively, are expected to make up for the lack of firepower due to the loss of Shikhar Dhawan, Shimron Hetmyer and Marcus Stoinis. It must be noted that Delhi Capitals retained the likes of Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Prithvi Shaw, and Anrich Nortje ahead of the IPL 2022 auction.

David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi and Mustafizur Rahman are unavailable at the start. Delhi Capitals have a decent first XI but player availability could cause headaches.

David Warner is unavailable for the first two games and Mitchell Marsh for the first three matches. Lungi Ngidi and Mustafizur Rahman are part of the ongoing ODI series between South Africa and Bangladesh and will also miss the first match.

The biggest concern for Delhi Capitals, however, was Anrich Nortje’s fitness. Originally there were strong doubts about him playing this season, which now have been wiped away as he joined Delhi Capitals’ squad. It is understood that he is likely to sit out the first few matches, but that’s a more manageable headache for the franchise.