"Maybe, in the beginning, we won't see the real Rishabh Pant we are used to" - Sunil Gavaskar on DC skipper's comeback from injury
Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar expects Rishabh Pant to face challenges in the initial stages of his return from injury during IPL 2024.
Pant, 26, suffered a horrific car accident in December 2022, leading to torn ligaments on his right knee that required surgery. After a long and arduous road to recovery, Pant will finally be back on the cricketing field to lead the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL.
Speaking on Star Sports, Gavaskar detailed how getting back from a knee injury could impact Pant's batting and wicketkeeping.
"It'll be very difficult. But the good thing is he (Pant) has played some cricket. So he has got some practice. To get fluency in batting is a little tough. When you talk of a knee injury, the pivoting that takes place. Wicketkeeping is difficult as well, but even in batting, the knee is quite important. So, maybe, in the beginning, we won't see the real Rishabh Pant that we are used to," said Gavaskar.
Gavaskar pointed out how Pant's return adds to the excitement of the IPL, saying:
"To find a wicketkeeper like him who comments from behind the stumps, that's full-on entertainment because there are a lot of wicket-keepers who would like to disturb your concentration by saying different things...but Rishabh Pant has the ability to say such a thing that whoever he is targetting, they also laugh, they also enjoy it. But when enjoying it, their concentration goes down a bit, right? The advantage is for his team then."
Pant last played competitive cricket during India's tour of Bangladesh at the end of 2022.
The southpaw missed the entire IPL 2023 season as DC finished second to bottom with only five wins in 14 games in his absence.
"My initials are SMG and he has Shubh-Man Gill in his name" - Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar cheekily pointed to the similarities between himself and Shubman Gill when asked about the latter's upcoming captaincy stint with the Gujarat Titans (GT).
The 24-year-old had an IPL 2023 season to remember, finishing as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 890 runs in 17 games. However, with Hardik Pandya traded to the Mumbai Indians (MI) during the off-season, Gill will lead GT in IPL 2024.
"That is going to be the most important thing: the way he can handle the captaincy. Will it affect and impact his batting? And the second thing is there is a commonality in our initials; both of us are SG's, and if we go even further, my initials are SMG, and he has Shubh-Man Gill in his name," said Gavaskar.
It is worth remembering Gavaskar was also an opening batter who captained India in the 1980s.
Meanwhile, Gill's stint as captain begins when GT takes on MI in their IPL 2024 season opener at Ahmedabad on March 24.