Delhi Capitals are hopeful of having Rishabh Pant’s services in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024). The wicketkeeper-batsman has not played a competitive match since the tour of Bangladesh in December 2022.
He was sidelined after being involved in a horrific car accident towards the end of 2022. Rishabh Pant has made a remarkable recovery but there is still no clarity over his comeback date. It was widely expected that he would make his much-awaited return to international cricket in the upcoming five-match Test series against England.
However, he was not selected in the squad for the first two Tests of the series. While only time will reveal when he returns to action, Delhi Capitals remain hopeful that he will be ready in time for IPL 2024, according to PKSV Sagar, CEO of GMR Sports, the co-owner of the franchise.
“Yes, we are hoping for the best. We can expect that he will play this season. He is the biggest player if he plays, then it will be good for us. Our coaches and physio are doing work on him and the best part is this he is recovering very well. We hope by March he will be fit and play for us,” Sagar told ANI.
Rishabh Pant eyes successful comeback:
Rishabh Pant will be desperate to return to action soon and hit the ground running. He will be keen to make an impact in the IPL in order to make it to the Indian team for this year’s T20 World Cup in June. A good outing in the IPL could very well put him in contention for the marquee event.
Delhi Capitals will also be eager to have their captain back in the team soon. The Delhi-based outfit endured a disastrous campaign in 2023, finishing at 2nd last position in the points table under David Warner’s captaincy. They managed to win only 5 of their 14 league games.
The return of Pant will surely boost their chances of doing well in IPL 2024. The southpaw has been an integral part of the franchise since making his debut for them in 2016. So far, he has played 98 games and has scored 2838 runs with the help of a hundred and 15 fifties.