Rishabh Pant is set to be part of a new premier league before he links with the ‘India B’ side for the upcoming season of the Duleep Trophy 2024, where the wicket-keeper batter will be playing under the leadership of Bengal batter Abhimanyu Easwaran, in an aim to make his Test return for the national side before a long home and away season.
Last time, he represented the Blue Brigade in a red-ball contest in December 202 in Bangladesh, after which he met that fatal and unfortunate accident that ruled him out of the whole of 2023 with a recovery process before he marked his return in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Rishabh Pant is likely to make his return in white-shirt during the two-match series against Bangladesh next month as he gears up for the biggest challenge of the upcoming five-match series in the longest format of the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.
Rishabh Pant is to feature in the opening game of the Delhi Premier League
The left-handed middle-order batter of the Indian team, Rishabh Pant, is set to be part of the opening encounter of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) T20, as the reports have claimed that he is expected to play only the very first game of the season.
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The 26-year-old will be representing Purani Delhi 6 team in the first game, where his opponents will be South Delhi Superstarz, which will be captained by Ayush Badoni, who has played for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the last few seasons of the IPL. The game will take place on August 17 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Rishabh Pant will be playing along with his Capitals and Indian teammate Ishant Sharma, who will also be representing the Purani Delhi 6 side, as the presence of his top players will be a massive boost for the future of the tournament, especially the teams respectively.
In the last season of the IPL in 2024, the Indian batter was the 12th highest run-getter of the event, with 446 runs coming off his blade at an average of over 40 with a strike rate of nearly 155.40, celebrating three fifties thanks to his best score of unbeaten 88-run knock.
One of the close sources of Rishabh Pant has revealed that the wicket-keeper would be playing only the very first game of the DPLT20, given it would be a great initiative for the youngsters of Delhi Cricket Association to keep an eye on their future. But because Pant’s main goal for the moment is to make an Indian comeback in the longest format, he would look to hold his shape.
“Being in prime shape to represent the country is his utmost priority. He will get back to red-ball training after the first match of the DPL and start preparing for the long-format season, starting with the Duleep Trophy in the first week of September.” The source opened up. “DDCA and the Purani Delhi 6 management appreciate Rishabh’s gesture and also respect his commitments.”
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He will be training with the red-ball, as the team owners and the governing body of the event have respect regarding the decision of the veteran.
In the T20 format, the left-hander has smashed 5022 runs in 191 innings, at an average of 31.78 and a strike rate of 145, celebrating 25 half-centuries and a couple of centuries, with the best score of an unbeaten 128-run knock. Rishabh Pant was also a huge part of India’s successful campaign in the recent T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA).