Ajinkya Rahane excited to play under Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting in the IPL
IPL franchise Delhi Capitals' new addition to the squad, Ajinkya Rahane, has said that he is excited to play under head coach Ricky Ponting in IPL 2020. Rahane revealed his admiration for the former Australia captain, and also talked about how he grew up watching the Aussie go about his business, while batting as well as in the field.
Rahane, in a live Instagram session with the Delhi Capitals' official handle, said that Ponting was a player whom he looked up to while growing up, along with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. Not only did he copy his stylish batting style, he was also mesmerised by Ponting's fielding heroics.
Rahane explained that the two-time World Cup winning captain's ability to effect direct hits always impressed him. Ponting's live-wire fielding and the uncanny frequency at which he hit the stumps to claim breakthroughs helped the Aussie team establish themselves as a notch above the rest.
"I am really excited to play under Ricky Ponting with Delhi Capitals. Have heard a lot about him as a coach. Obviously my idols while growing up were Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, but I tried to copy Ponting's batting and fielding style as well... In our conversations, we talked about his fielding heroics, how he hit those direct hits so often in his career. I hope I can make the best use of his experience."
Ajinkya Rahane was traded by RR to the Delhi Capitals
In the IPL 2020 trade window last year, Ajinkya Rahane was picked up by the Delhi Capitals. The former Rajasthan Royals captain went to DC in return for spinners Mayank Markande and Rahul Tewatia.
At RR, Rahane played over 100 matches, captaining them on 24 occasions. He leaves them as their highest run-getter, with 2,810 runs at an average of 34.26 and a strike-rate of 122.65.
After the trade, Rahane revealed how Sourav Ganguly played a crucial part in bringing him to the Delhi franchise. Rahane was a main target for many franchises, having scored over 3000 runs in 140 IPL games at an astonishing T20 average of 32.93.
