Rishabh Pant‘s anticipated return to competitive cricket for the Delhi Capitals in the upcoming IPL 2024 season has generated significant interest. The player, who has been recovering from a major car accident in December 2022, is yet to be officially declared fit by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Despite this, Delhi Capitals’ coach Ricky Ponting is already contemplating Pant’s role in the team.
Ponting revealed, “It’s a big decision we’ll have to make because if he is fit, you’d think he’d step straight back into that captaincy role. If he’s not entirely fit and we have to use him in a slightly different role, then we’ve got some decisions to make there.”
Ponting acknowledged, “He’s actually played some practice matches over the last couple of weeks, which has been really encouraging for us. I know he’s worked incredibly hard on his body and his fitness to get back to the level that he’s at now.”
Ponting expressed hope, “I’m very hopeful, not from a selfish point of view as the coach of the Delhi Capitals, but I want to see him back playing cricket again. I think the whole world wants to see him back playing cricket again and just playing with that youthful exuberance that he has. If he does that, then I know he’ll win some games for Delhi and we’ll have a good time along the way this season.”
Ponting expressed confidence, “Knowing Rishabh, it probably won’t (take time to adjust) because he’s such a natural talent and just knowing the sort of person that he is, I don’t think he’ll be awed. I don’t think he’ll be scared by the comeback. The fact that he’s missed 15 months of cricket, I don’t think it’ll faze him too much.”
Ponting concluded, “But at the end of the day, that’s what these practice games now have been for, that’s what the camp has been for, for us to get his skills and his mindset back into a place where he can just go out and play the way that he’s always played.”
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