The co-owner of Delhi Capitals Parth Jindal has officially announced that the prominent wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant will captain the team during the IPL 2024. However, it has been disclosed that Pant will not be taking up the wicketkeeping duties in the initial seven games of the season.
Parth disclosed that Rishabh Pant has initiated his wicketkeeping training and is actively participating in batting and running sessions.
While having a conversation with ESPNCricinfo, “Rishabh is batting. He’s running. He has started his wicketkeeping. He is likely to be fully fit for the IPL. I am expecting Rishabh to play IPL and he will lead from match one. First seven games, we are going to play him only as a batter, and depending on how his body reacts, we will take a call for the rest of the IPL.”
Since the potentially fatal accident in December 2022, Pant has shown remarkable progress. The young cricketer participated in several practice games in Alur and even shared an Instagram video showcasing his goalkeeping skills.
Despite Andre Nortje missing several recent matches due to a back injury, Jindal confirmed that the Proteas pacer is prepared for their upcoming first game. Nortje, a steadfast member of the Capitals’ lineup since 2020, has contributed significantly with 53 wickets for the franchise. This includes an impressive tally of 22 wickets in the 2020 season at an average of 23.27.
“He’s fit. Right now, he is bowing at 80% intensity. Next week, he will bowl at 100%. He’s going to make his comeback in the IPL. He is going to join our camp and should be good to go for our first game,” Jindal added.
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Jindal also talked about the team balance and said, “We feel very confident, the balance of the team is a lot better with Rishabh coming back in. We have a very good squad and a lot of options with players like Tristan Stubbs, who had a phenomenal SA20 (with SA20 2024 champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape), and Mitch Marsh becoming captain of Australia’s T20I team.”