IPL 2023: Rishabh Pant has been terrific, Delhi Capitals will miss him, says new captain David Warner
Newly-appointed Delhi Capitals captain David Warner said on Thursday that the franchise will certainly miss the leadership and the firepower.
That Rishabh Pant brings to the table in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Warner was named as the stand-in captain for the upcoming season, which will get underway on March 31.
Rishabh Pant has been out of competitive action after he survived a near-fatal car accident in December 2022. Pant suffered a major injuries and needed surgery to be back on his feet. Only recently, Pant shared a video of him trying to walk with the help of crutches in a swimming pool.
The wicketkeeper-batter has begun his road to recovery but it is likely that the India star is unlikely to return to action at least until the end of the year. Pant will be unavailable for IPL 2023 and is likely to miss the ODI World Cup later this year as well.
Pant was appointed as Delhi Capitals’ full-time captain in IPL 2021 season and he led the team for two years. Warner, who rejoined the Capitals after spending a successful stint with SurRisers Hyderabad, in IPL 2022 is one of the few IPL-winning captains.
Warner has an excellent record as captain after having led the SunRisers to IPL title in 2016. However, his relationship with the SRH management strained during the IPL 2021 season following which the two parties parted ways.
Warner will continue to work with head coach Ricky Ponting at Delhi Capitals.
“Rishabh has been a terrific leader for Delhi Capitals, and we’re all going to miss having him around. I would like to thank the management for the faith and trust they’ve always shown in me,” Warner said in a statement.
“This franchise has always been home for me, and I couldn’t be more excited to lead such a supremely talented bunch of players. I can’t wait to meet them all, and get cracking!” he added.
‘WARNER APT CANDIDATE’
Delhi Capitals will open their campaign against Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow on Saturday, April 1. Their first home game will be against defending champions Gujarat Titans on April 4.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Capitals appointed India all-rounder Axar Patel as their vice-captain for the IPL 2023 season. The Capitals also named former BCCI president and India captain Sourav Ganguly as their Director of Cricket.
Speaking about the latest appointments, Delhi Capitals Chairman and co-owner Parth Jindal said: “In Rishabh’s absence, there couldn’t have been a more apt candidate than David to lead the Delhi Capitals. With him as our leader, and Ricky (Ponting) and Dada (Ganguly) overseeing all proceedings, I have no doubt that we are going to be the team to watch out for in the competition.”