Rishabh Pant will be part of Delhi Capitals’ IPL 2023 campaign while sitting at home; here’s how

Ricky Ponting, the Delhi Capitals skipper, has spoken about the team's wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who is currently recovering from injuries suffered in a car accident. Ponting stated that Pant is the "heart and soul" of the team and that they could honour him by wearing his shirt number on their shirts and caps. He made these comments at a team event in the national capital.

Ponting acknowledged that Pant's absence has created a massive void in the DC team. Even though the Capitals named David Warner as their skipper for the Indian Premier League (IPL) edition, they are yet to find an apt replacement for Pant. "Pant is a huge loss, and we are still going to miss him. He is one of the best players in the world in all three formats," added Ponting.

Delhi Capitals have several options to replace Pant, including Phil Salt, Manish Pandey, Sarfaraz Khan, Luvnith Sisodia, Sheldon Jackson, Abishek Porel, and Vivek Singh. However, Ponting admits that no matter who comes, it will be difficult to find someone offering as much quality as Pant.

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The IPL 2023 will start from March 31 onwards, with a match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings. Delhi Capitals will begin their IPL campaign against Lucknow SuperGiants from April 1 onwards. They will play their first home game against Gujarat Titans on April 4 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi.

David Warner has been named as Delhi Capitals' captain for the upcoming season of the IPL, stepping in for Rishabh Pant, who is currently undergoing rehab and recovery. All-rounder Axar Patel has been named the team's Vice Captain. The franchise has also announced former India captain Sourav Ganguly as the franchise's Director of Cricket.

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This will be the second time Warner leads the Capitals. In his previous stint with the franchise from 2009 to 2013, he led the side in a couple of matches. The opener was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014 and in 2016, he led the side to their maiden title. In terms of matches won, Warner is the fifth joint-most successful skipper. He has won 35 out of 69 matches as a captain, lost 32 and tied two matches.

(With ANI inputs)