Team India’s wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the IPL 2023 after he met with a terrible car crash on December 30 and is still recovering from the injuries sustained during the accident.
Delhi Capitals’ head coach Ricky Ponting wants Rishabh Pant to remain with him in the dugout during the Indian Premier League 2023 season and help the team as the leader of the side.
Players like Pant don’t grow on trees says Ponting
Delhi Capitals’ head coach Ricky Ponting was asked about Rishabh Pant’s impact in the dugout and his replacement for the IPL 2023 edition on The ICC Review Show. Ponting believes Rishabh Pant’s presence in the dugout can make a huge difference even if he’s not fit to play.
“You can’t replace those guys, simple as that. They don’t grow on trees, players like that. We’ve got to look at – and we already are – a replacement to come into the squad, a wicketkeeper-batsman,” the former Australian captain said on The ICC Review Show.
“If he is actually not physically fit enough to play, we’d still love to have him around. He’s the sort of cultural leader around the group, being the captain, and that attitude and infectious smile and laugh he has is what we all love so much about him. If he’s actually able to travel and be around the team, then I want him sitting beside me in the dugout every day of the week. I’ll certainly be making sure, come the middle of March when we get together in Delhi and start our camps and stuff, if he’s able to be there, then I want him around the whole time,” he further added.
It’s worth noting that it might be really difficult for Delhi Capitals to find an Indian uncapped player as replacement for the injured Rishabh Pant and they cannot acquire a foreign player as replacement as they don’t have any foreign slots remaining in the squad.
Sarfaraz Khan is one of the contenders to get a chance in the playing XI as the young batter has been a part-time wicketkeeper for Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament. His prolific form with the bat across formats will further help the team’s cause.
