Rishabh Pant will be leading Delhi Capitals for the second time after guiding the franchise to the playoffs last year. The 24-year-old cricketer from Delhi 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 cash-rich league which was held in the UAE, the cricketer was appointed the permanent captain.
The flamboyant batter, who sticks to his fearless batting approach, will be hoping to excel in the leadership role, especially when he’s been in top form for the Indian Test team in recent months.
Rishabh Pant Made Chetan Sakariya Comfortable In First Interaction
Rishabh Pant was recently elevated to the role of vice-captaincy in T20Is for the three-match series against West Indies and the wicketkeeper-batter has also earned praise from Chetan Sakariya, who fetched a 4.2 crore pay cheque in the IPL 2022 mega auctions last month. Chetan Sakariya opened up on interacting with Rishabh Pant for the first time and shared how the Delhi Capitals captain made him feel comfortable.
“Rishabh Pant and my interaction happened for the first time when we were returning from practice and all fast bowlers were taking an ice bath. And suddenly he came to the physio room and welcomed everyone to the team. He gave me the nickname “Sakariya Ji”. So if such a big player speaks like this about you then you really feel good and he made me feel comfortable,” he told.
Chetan Sakariya joins the Delhi pace attack comprising the likes of Anrich Nortje, Shardul Thakur, Khaleel Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman and Lungi Ngidi.
Chetan Sakariya Admits He Will Have To Work Hard As There Are Good Contenders In The Pace Attack In Delhi Capitals
Chetan Sakariya, who had a breakthrough season in 2021 IPL where he picked up 14 wickets in as many games, faces stiff competition from Kamlesh Nagarkoti as well. But he’s ready to put in the hard yards, and Anrich Nortje’s persistent hip issue increases Chetan Sakariya’s chances of getting into starting eleven.
“When I was picked by DC in the auction then the team was already picked. There was Nortje, Shardul Bhai, Nagarkoti, Khaleel Bhai, etc. So the first thing that came to my mind is that it will be a good competition and there are good contenders and that I will have to work hard,” he further said.
Chetan Sakariya took 14 wickets in 14 games for Rajasthan Royals, who had a disappointing season. Nevertheless, the youngster will have a chance to play under DC head coach, Ricky Ponting, who is known to be a great man-manager. Chetan Sakariya made his international debut last year on the Sri Lanka tour playing one ODI and two T20Is. However, he hasn’t been picked by the team since then.
Chetan Sakariya picked up two crucial wickets in the final India-Sri Lanka ODI, giving away just 34 runs from his eight overs. He also picked up a solitary scalp in 2 T20Is to go with 2 scalps in his first and only ODI so far.
IPL 2022 will kick start from March 26 with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squaring off in the tournament opener. Delhi Capitals will be going against five-time champions Mumbai Indians in their opening game on March 27.