Rishabh Pant has already confirmed IPL 2024 will be his comeback tournament after the nearly-fateful car accident last year. He has missed one-and-a-half-years of cricket action due to injuries he sustained in the accident. The wicketkeeper and batter is currently on the recovery path and is expected to be match fit by next month which is when the seventeenth edition of Indian Premier League also starts.
Also Read | Historic: Jasprit Bumrah Becomes First Indian Pacer To Achieve World No 1 Test Bowler Status In ICC Rankings
Pant may not be able to keep wickets this season, said head coach of Delhi Capitals (DC) Ricky Ponting. He, however, gave a good news to the Delhi fans by saying that Pant is likely to be available for the full season. There are 14 matches minimum for every team in IPL and a maximum of 17, including the two playoffs and final. Playing an intense and high-contested tournament will be a huge challenge for the cricketer returning after a long time. It will test his physical and mental strengths.
“Rishabh is very confident that he’s going to be right to play. In what capacity we’re not quite sure yet. You would have seen all the social-media stuff, he’s up and about and running well. But in saying that we’re only six weeks away from the first game as well. So we’re not sure if we’ll get wicketkeeping out of him this year,” Ponting said.
“But I’ll guarantee if I asked him now he’ll say, ‘I’m playing every game, I’m keeping every game and I’m batting at No.4.’ That’s just what he’s like, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed,” he added.
Ponting, once again, confirmed that Pant will be leading the Delhi team in IPL 2024. The coach said that Pant has gone through a lot in the last year or so and he is very lucky to have survived that accident, forget about playing cricket again.
In case you did not know, Ponting has also donned a new hat. He has become the coach of Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket (MLC). The coach-cum-commentator, previously, was not in a coaching capacity apart from DC.
Ponting said that this year DC have all bases covered. They have a strong overseas contingent in form of Mitchell Marsh, Harry Brook and David Warner. If they can get Anric Nortje and Jhye Richardson fit, along with two two spinners Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, DC will be a difficult team to beat.
