The young wicketkeeper-batsman to lead Delhi Capital for the upcoming edition?

     Written by : SMTV24x7 | Wed, Mar 31, 2021, 12:26 PM

The young wicketkeeper-batsman to lead Delhi Capital for the upcoming edition?

Rishabh Pant has been appointed the captain of Delhi Capitals for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League. The 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, who has captained Delhi's state side in the past, will make his tournament captaincy debut in IPL 2021 and fill in for the regular captain Shreyas Iyer, who injured his shoulder during the recently concluded ODI series against England. The move to appoint Pant as stand-in captain all but rules Iyer out of the season.

"Delhi is where I grew up, and where my IPL journey began six years ago. To lead this team one day is a dream I've always harboured," Pant said. "And today, as that dream comes true, I feel humbled. I am truly grateful, especially to our team owners, who considered me capable enough for this role. With an amazing coaching staff, and a plethora of accomplished seniors around me, I can't wait to give my absolute best for Delhi Capitals."

Pant is in the middle of a purple patch in cricket. After memorable innings in Test cricket in Australia and at home against England, Pant was also among the runs in the limited-over leg in India and according to DC Chairman & Co-owner Kiran Kumar Grandhi embodies the "passionate and fearless brand of cricket" that DC play. Head coach Ricky Ponting called Pant's appointment a "tremendous opportunity."

"The previous two seasons under Shreyas' leadership have been incredible, and the results speak for themselves. This is a tremendous opportunity for young Rishabh, who is coming off successful stints against Australia and England which will no doubt give him the confidence needed to take on a new role that comes with a lot more responsibility. The coaching group is excited to work with him, and we can't wait for the season to get started," Ponting said.

Iyer has called Pant the "best man for the job" even though the franchise were spoilt for alternatives in Ajinkya Rahane, Steven Smith, Shikhar Dhawan and R Ashwin.

"When I sustained the shoulder injury, and Delhi Capitals needed a leader for this edition of the IPL, I had no doubt that Rishabh would be the best man for the job," Iyer said. "He has all my good wishes to make amazing things happen with our absolutely incredible team. I'm going to miss the team tremendously, and will be cheering for them throughout."

Delhi will begin their campaign against Chennai Super Kings on April 10, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.