Rishabh Pant assures Ponting of his readiness to participate in the entire IPL 2024 season.
In promising news for Delhi Capitals and India supporters, Ricky Ponting has indicated that Rishabh Pant is confident about participating in the entire IPL 2024 season.
Pant, who was involved in a serious car accident on December 30, 2022, has been sidelined from the game since then.
However, he has gradually returned to light fitness routines and has been seen attending India’s matches in recent months.
After missing out on last year’s IPL, the ODI World Cup, and some significant Test series, Pant was expected to make a comeback during this year’s IPL.
While Ponting acknowledged Pant’s belief in his readiness for a return, he remained uncertain about whether Pant would resume wicketkeeping duties or captaincy just yet.
“Rishabh is very confident that he’s going to be right to play.
In what capacity we’re not quite sure yet.
You would have seen all the social media updates; he’s up and running well.
But with only six weeks until the first game, we’re not certain if we’ll have him keeping wickets this year,” Ponting stated.
“But if I were to ask him now, he’d probably say, ‘I’m playing every game, keeping wickets, and batting at No. 4.’
That’s just his attitude.
However, we’ll remain hopeful,” he added.
While Pant is optimistic about featuring throughout the season, Ponting tempered expectations, suggesting that managing him for 10 out of the 14 games would be a significant boon for the team, considering their dire need for his services last year.
“He’s a dynamic player and our captain.
We sorely missed him last year.
Given the journey he’s been on over the past 12-13 months, it was a dreadful incident.
He feels fortunate just to have survived, let alone to have the opportunity to play cricket again.
“We’ll remain hopeful that he can take the field.
Even if he doesn’t play every game, if we can have him for 10 out of the 14 matches, that would be a bonus,” Ponting remarked, confirming that David Warner will continue as captain if Pant is unavailable to lead.
Despite Delhi Capitals’ under whelming performance in IPL 2023, where they won just five out of 14 games and finished second-last, Ponting approaches this year’s season with renewed optimism.
“With the addition of Harry Brook to the squad, alongside Warner, Marsh, and Brook, we have a strong lineup of overseas batsmen,” Ponting noted.
“With Nortje and Jhye Richardson fit, along with spin options Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, we have a solid squad that, to be honest, has perhaps underperformed in recent years.
So, we have some work to do,” Ponting concluded.
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