Head coach Ricky Ponting has given his enthusiastic approval to Rishabh Pant’s planned return to the Delhi Capitals (DC) for the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). According to Ponting, Pant, who hasn’t been active since a vehicle accident in December 2022, appears to be making progress based on his social media posts. Even if Ponting remained cautiously optimistic, it’s unclear if the southpaw is ready to return to his dual roles as captain and wicketkeeper-batter.
Additionally, the flashy player may only appear as a hitter, taking advantage of the impact player rule. Ponting understood the importance of the wicketkeeper’s possible return to the team. He is currently the head coach of the Major League Cricket (MLC) team, the Washington Freedom. But confirmation of his willingness to take on his varied role is still pending, which has left his supporters and the club anxious as the IPL draws near.
“Rishabh has great confidence in his ability to play. We’re not exactly sure what capacity it will serve. As you are aware, he is active on social media and appears to be doing well. However, keep in mind that the first game is just six weeks away. Therefore, we’re unsure if we’ll get wicketkeeping from him this season,” Ponting stated, according to ESPNcricinfo.
“But if I asked him right now, I can assure you that he would respond, ‘I’m batting at No. 4, I’m playing every game, and I’m keeping every game.'” That’s just his nature, but we’ll cross our fingers. He plays with such energy. That’s right, he’s our captain. We truly missed him last year,” he continued.
It will be an added bonus if you can obtain any games from Rishabh Pant. Ponting.
The 26-year-old attended the 2024 IPL mini-auction in Dubai on December 19 with Ricky Ponting on his side. In preparation for his return, the explosive player has been working hard at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Though Pant might be available for some, if not all, of the team’s matches, the former captain of Australia expressed optimism about his return and said it would be a huge advantage.
“We’ll just cross our fingers and hope he’s able to play outside. Any games you can extract out of him will be a plus, Ponting said, “even if it’s not all the games, if we can manage him through 10 of the 14 games or whatever that might be.”
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