Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting has said Rishabh Pant is “very confident” of playing the entire season of the upcoming IPL 2024. The wicketkeeper-batsman is yet to return to competitive cricket after being involved in a horrific car crash towards the end of 2022.
He did not play a single competitive game in 2023 and is yet to return to action. While it was widely expected that Rishabh Pant would make his much-awaited return to action in the ongoing five-match Test series between India and England, he is still not close to a return. As of now, there is little clarity over his return date as he is still recovering from the injuries he sustained in the accident.
However, Rishabh Pant is confident that he will be available for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024 which is expected to begin next month. He is likely to lead the team if he manages to return for IPL 2024. In his absence last year, veteran opener David Warner led Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023.
Ricky Ponting on Rishabh Pant’s availability:
While Rishabh Pant is confident of playing in IPL 2024, Ponting is still not sure about it. The former Australia captain said that even if the star player returns to action, he is unlikely to keep the wickets in IPL 2024. Ponting stated that whatever Pant does as a player in the upcoming edition will be a bonus for the team.
“Rishabh is very confident that he’s going to be right to play,” Ponting said. “In what capacity we’re not quite sure yet.
“You would have seen all the social-media stuff, he’s up and about and running well. But in saying that we’re only six weeks away from the first game as well. So we’re not sure if we’ll get wicketkeeping out of him this year.
“But I’ll guarantee if I asked him now he’ll say, ‘I’m playing every game, I’m keeping every game and I’m batting at No.4.’ That’s just what he’s like, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed.
“He’s such a dynamic player. He’s obviously our captain. We missed him incredibly last year. If you understand the journey he’s been on the last 12-13 months, it was a horrific incident. One that I know he feels very lucky to have even survived, let alone have the chance to play cricket again.
“We’ll just keep our fingers crossed and hope that he can be out there and play. Even if it’s not all the games, if we can manage him through 10 of the 14 games or whatever that might be then whatever games you can get out of him will be a bonus,” he added.
Delhi Capitals will be desperate to turn things around and do well this year after poor campaigns in the last two editions. They failed to qualify for the playoffs in the last two seasons. In 2022, the Delhi-based outfit finished at the fifth spot before finishing at the ninth spot last year.
