[In Pictures and Videos] Rishabh Pant marks his presence at the Arun Jaitley Stadium for DC vs GT encounter in IPL 2023ย
The spotlight was on Rishabh Pant during the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) contest between the Delhi Capitals (DC) and the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, April 4. The injured wicketkeeper-batter attended DC's first home game which ended in a losing cause as the defending champions won the clash by six wickets.
Reports were making the rounds suggesting that Pant would be there to support the team from the stands, with DC head coach Ricky Ponting also encouraging the same.
As suggested, Pant did watch the game from the stands sporting the casts and walking stick, resulting from a car accident that he sustained in December 2022.
He was seen with DC co-owner Parth Jindal, Rajiv Shukla, and BCCI secretary Jay Shah during the match. The Delhi-born player also waved to the crowd assembled at the stadium when the camera panned on him and proceeded to meet the players in the dressing room after the culmination of the match.
Here are some of the pictures and videos that circulated on social media following the star wicketkeeper's appearance in Delhi.
DC missing Rishabh Pant on the field as they begin IPL 2023 with successive defeats
The 2020 IPL finalists are off to a rough start in the league after suffering back-to-back defeats against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT). The David Warner-led side were not dominant enough on their home turf as GT chased down 163 with 11 balls and six wickets to spare.
Speaking about the loss during the post-match presentation, stand-in skipper Warner said:
"It did swing a lot more than anticipated. And from the other end it kept a little low. They showed how to adapt to situations. Got another 6 games here. Have to be on point and expect that swing in the first few overs. We were in the game till the back end."
DC will have to learn to live life without their captain this season as he has been completely ruled out, given the severity of his injuries. The franchise will next face the dominant Rajasthan Royals (RR) outfit on Saturday, April 8.
When will the flamboyant player feature as a player next? Let us know what you think.