NEW DELHI: Swashbuckling keeper-batter
Rishabh Pant
was on Tuesday appointed the captain of Delhi Capitals for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League, marking a wonderful chapter in his extraordinary comeback journey.
After escaping a near-fatal car accident in December 2022, Pant was sidelined from cricket for 14 months.
"We are delighted to welcome Rishabh back as our captain.
Grit and fearlessness have always dictated his brand of cricket, and not surprisingly, even his road to recovery.
"I can't wait to see him walk our team out once again as we look forward to a new season with renewed passion, vigour and enthusiasm," said DC chairman and co-owner Parth Jindal in a media release.
The left-hander has been a part of the Capitals pre-season preparatory camp in Visakhapatnam, ahead of their first
IPL 2024
match against Punjab Kings in Chandigarh on March 23.
The IPL begins on March 22.
Earlier, Pant was given clearance by the BCCI to play as a wicketkeeper batter in this year's IPL.
"After undergoing an extensive 14-month rehab and recovery process, following a life-threatening road mishap on December 30, 2022, near Roorkee, Uttarakhand, Rishabh Pant has now been declared fit as a wicket-keeper batter for the upcoming IPL 2024," the board had stated in a medical update.
Delhi head coach
Ricky Ponting
too had given a thumbs-up for the way Pant was playing at nets during the team's camp.
"We missed him incredibly last year. The whole tournament missed him. Rishabh brings so much energy to the team. He's got that smile on his face, he's hitting the ball as good as ever and he tends to lift all of his teammates around him," said Ponting.
Last year's Australian veteran David Warner had led the Capitals and they finished ninth in the 10-team league with five wins and nine loses ahead of Sunrisers Hyderabad.
(With inputs from PTI)
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