Ever since Rishabh Pant suffered a near-fatal accident in December 2022, fans have prayed for his speedy recovery and anxiously waited for his return to the field. In March, the cricket fraternity is set to witness the highly-anticipated comeback of Pant as he is set to play in the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Delhi Capitals.
Last year, Pant was seen at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi as he came to support Delhi Capitals, who were led by David Warner. This year, the star wicketkeeper-batter is going to return as the captain of the side. However, Parth Jindal, who is the co-owner of the franchise, has stated that he won't be donning the wicketkeeping gloves in the first half of the tournament.
Delhi Capitals' Director of Cricket, Sourav Ganguly, expressed his delight at having Pant back in the line-up. The former India captain said that Pant had worked very hard to facilitate a comeback and is confident of representing the Capitals and also the Indian team.
"It's a huge boost for Delhi Capitals because Indian players are gold in the IPL. Obviously, he has not played much cricket and I hope he gets back to rhythm very quickly. It's been a while he is away from competitive cricket, almost 17-18 months. He has worked very hard to make a comeback. He is confident and wants to play for Delhi Capitals and India. I am extremely happy he is back and hope he gets through the season," Ganguly said while speaking to Revsportz.
A look at Rishabh Pant's IPL numbers
Pant shot to fame with an impressive outing in the Under-19 World Cup in 2016. Delhi Capitals (then Delhi Daredevils) roped him in for Rs 1.9 crore ahead of IPL 2017 and he has gone on to become the face of the franchise.
In 98 IPL games, Pant has scored 2,838 runs at a fine average of 34.61 and a blistering strike rate of 147.97. The 26-year-old has also notched up 15 fifties and a solitary ton for the Delhi-based franchise. The return of a player of Pant's stature will make the Capitals look a much more formidable outfit than they did last year when they finished ninth on the points table.
The Capitals are set to begin their campaign in IPL 2024 on Saturday, March 23, at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali with a match against Punjab Kings.
Also Read: ‘He won't be the usual Rishabh Pant we are used to seeing’ - Sunil Gavaskar ahead of DC skipper’s return in IPL 2024
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