[Watch] Delhi Capitals' players send their best wishes to Rishabh Pant
The Delhi Capitals (DC) are set to play their home opener in IPL 2023 against the Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Tuesday (April 4). It has been widely reported that Rishabh Pant will be present in the stadium to watch the game.
Pant injured his knee during a near-fatal car accident in December 2022, and is recovering after surgery. With the left-hander out of the IPL this season, David Warner has replaced him as the captain of the Delhi Capitals.
Ahead of the home opener, several players from the squad, including Prithvi Shaw, Axar Patel, Rovman Powell, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mitchell Marsh, wished Rishabh Pant a speedy recovery. They also spoke about how much they missed having their captain in the dressing room and on the field.
You can watch the video below:
Get Well Soon, Rishabh! 👍 👍
Wishes pour in for @RishabhPant17 as @DelhiCapitals gear up for their first home game of the #TATAIPL 🤗 #DCvGT https://t.co/w8Sp0B4ZTF
"Over the top" - BCCI unhappy with Delhi Capitals' jersey gesture in their first match
The Delhi Capitals opened their 2023 IPL campaign against the Lucknow Super Giants on April 1. Ahead of the match, the Capitals made a heartwarming gesture by hanging the jersey of their injured skipper Rishabh Pant on top of their dugout.
However, it has been reported that the BCCI wasn't very happy with the gesture and felt it was unnecessary:
"It seemed a bit over the top. Such a gesture is reserved in case of ultimate tragedy or retirement. In this case, it was neither. Rishabh is well and truly on his way to recovery faster than one expected. So while it was done with a noble intention, it is learnt that BCCI has politely told the franchise to avoid such gesture in future."
Meanwhile, on the field, the Capitals suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of the Lucknow Super Giants.
Speaking at the post-game press conference, Delhi Capitals skipper David Warner expressed disappointment at the dropped catches that led to a momentum shift. He also felt that the two-paced nature of the wicket made it difficult for the batters.
"It was a bit of a challenge. We had some early momentum with the fast bowlers, they bowled very well in the powerplay. A few dropped catches and the momentum shifted there but you can't take anything away from Lucknow."
"I thought 170 was par but they did an exceptional job. Momentum is a big thing in this game. I feel on this wicket you're playing on two different surfaces from either end. We started very well. Our bowlers bowled exceptionally well."