“Captaincy will make Rishabh Pant an even better player” - Ricky Ponting
Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting believes the additional responsibility of the captaincy will see Rishabh Pant evolve further as a cricketer.
Wicket-keeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was appointed as the captain of Delhi Capitals for the IPL 2021 season after regular skipper Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury. Iyer hurt his shoulder during the first India-England ODI.
Admitting it is unfortunate that Iyer is missing out, Ponting expressed confidence that Pant will do a good job as a leader.
Taking to his official Twitter account, the Aussie legend wrote:
“Unfortunate that Shreyas will miss the tournament, but looking forward to seeing @RishabhPant17 grab his opportunity. It's well deserved for his recent performances and he's coming in with a lot of confidence. I'm convinced captaincy will make him an even better player.”
Rishabh Pant has been in scorching form of late. He began his purple patch in Australia with a counter-attacking 97 in the Sydney Test. It was followed by the match-winning 89* in the historic triumph at the Gabba.
The 23-year-old was in good form against England too. He smashed a superb hundred in the fourth Test in Ahmedabad and also did well behind the stumps on the turning tracks.
Rishabh Pant ended the England series on a high, with scores of 77 and 78 in the last two T20Is.
What Rishabh Pant said after being appointed Delhi Capitals captain
Amid much speculation, Delhi Capitals confirmed on Tuesday that Rishabh Pant would be replacing the injured Shreyas Iyer as captain for the IPL 2021 season.
Get the full list of IPL Captains 2021 here.
Reacting to his appointment, Pant said that leading Delhi Capitals is a "dream come true" moment for him. He stated:
"Delhi is where I grew up, and where my IPL journey began six years ago. To lead this team one day is a dream I've always harboured. And today, as that dream comes true, I feel humbled. I am truly grateful, especially to our team owners, who considered me capable enough for this role. With an amazing coaching staff, and a plethora of accomplished seniors around me, I can't wait to give my absolute best for Delhi Capitals."
Iyer also backed Rishabh Pant to do well as captain.
"When I sustained the shoulder injury, and Delhi Capitals needed a leader for this edition of the IPL, I had no doubt that Rishabh would be the best man for the job. He has all my good wishes to make amazing things happen with our absolutely incredible team. I'm going to miss the team tremendously and will be cheering for them throughout," Iyer said.
Delhi Capitals were the runners-up in IPL 2020, losing to Mumbai Indians by five wickets in the final.