Rishabh Pant’s anticipated return to the Delhi Capitals (DC) for the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) has received a hopeful nod from head coach Ricky Ponting.
Ponting revealed that Pant, who has been out of action since a car accident in December 2022, has shown promising signs of recovery according to his social media updates. While the southpaw’s readiness to resume his dual responsibilities as wicketkeeper-batter and captain is uncertain, Ponting remained cautiously optimistic.
The flamboyant player may also feature solely as a batter, and leverage the impact player rule. Ponting, now the head coach of Major League Cricket (MLC) franchise Washington Freedom, recognised the significance of the wicket-keeper batter’s potential return to the squad. However, confirmation regarding his readiness to shoulder his multifaceted role is awaited, which has kept his fans and the team on the edge as the IPL approaches.
But in saying that we’re only six weeks away from the first game as well. So we’re not sure if we’ll get wicketkeeping out of him this year,” Ponting said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“But I’ll guarantee if I asked him now he’ll say, ‘I’m playing every game, I’m keeping every game and I’m batting at No.4.’ That’s just what he’s like, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed. He’s such a dynamic player. He’s obviously our captain. We missed him incredibly last year,” he added.