Rishabh Pant likely to lead Delhi Capitals in IPL next year

NEW DELHI: India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is all set to lead the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).

The Delhi-based franchise expects the 26-year-old to be fully fit before the start of the 17th season of the cash-rich domestic T20 league, according to ESPNcricinfo.

At the recent camp of the Delhi Capitals in Kolkata before the next edition of the event, Pant went through the paces under the watchful eyes of the coaching staff comprising Ricky Ponting, Sourav Ganguly, and Pravin Amre.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the wicketkeeper-batter joined the camp to discuss 'the retention and release of players' ahead of the upcoming IPL 2024 auction on December 19 in Dubai.

Pant made his IPL debut in 2016 following which he appeared in 98 matches for the franchises and scored 2838 runs with a strike rate of 147.97. Pant has been out of competitive cricket for several months now and is recovering from critical injuries sustained in a car accident.

The Indian wicketkeeper-batter has demonstrated exemplary tenacity and determination in his recuperation. His followers have been following his progress to full fitness and he has also been keeping updated through social media platforms. Pant survived a horrific car accident on the Delhi-Dehradun highway but sustained critical injuries. After receiving initial treatment in Dehradun, he was airlifted to Mumbai for better and more specialised treatment.

Pant missed out on the last edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, the World Test Championship (WTC) final, and the ODI World Cup 2023. However, it is hoped that he will return to full fitness soon and may even feature in India's squad for the ICC T20 World Cup next year.