"We want him to recover, take it slow and easy" - Delhi Capitals captain David Warner on Rishabh Pant
Delhi Capitals (DC) batter David Warner wants Rishabh Pant to take his time to recover from the injuries he sustained in a car accident in December last year. In Pant's absence, Warner will lead DC in IPL 2023.
Pant, who will miss the ongoing edition of the IPL, has a long recovery road ahead and is unlikely to play any cricket this year.
He is also set to miss the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June and the 2023 ODI World Cup in India later this year.
Speaking ahead of the Capitals' first IPL 2023 game against the Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday, April 1, Warner was quoted by the Times of India:
"He's looking forward to supporting us as much as he can. I'm sure he'll try his best to come and see us. But we want him to recover, take it slow and easy and get better as fast as he can."
Apart from being the third-highest run-getter in IPL history, Warner is also a title-winning captain. Under his leadership, SunRisers Hyderabad won their first and only IPL title back in 2016.
Axar Patel will also help me deal with the language barrier: David Warner
Warner highlighted that Axar Patel will have a significant role to play as vice-captain and expects the fans' support in large numbers. The southpaw added:
"Axar will have great knowledge about all the players in the squad. He'll be in control of relaying information to the bowlers and also help me deal with the language barrier.
"You get to understand the wicket at your home ground. The fans' chats in the stadium will give us great strength and belief to play our best."
| #DCToli turning up for our intra-squad match, is just the motivation we need ahead of #IPL2023 
Some early #RoarMacha vibes at #QilaKotla 🔥
📷| #DCToli turning up for our intra-squad match, is just the motivation we need ahead of #IPL2023 💙 https://t.co/X0g1kxTMH0
Along with Warner, Aussie all-rounder Mitchell Marsh is likely to play a key role in Delhi's campaign this year.