Ricky Ponting hints Rishabh Pant's future with Delhi, wishes him to be in dugout


image-ld49zod3Ricky Ponting and Rishabh Pant in Delhi's nets

Australian legend and Delhi Capitals' Head Coach, Ricky Ponting has spoken about his Indian Premier League team's captain, Rishabh Pant. On ICC Review's latest episode, Ponting talked about Pant's heart-rendering accident and the DC skipper's future with the franchise.

"I absolutely love the bloke, I told him that on the phone the last couple of days,” Ponting told The ICC Review.

"It was a horrifying time, a really scary time for everybody, let alone him. Anyone that knows him loves him – he’s a really infectious young guy that has the world at his feet still.

"So we will keep our fingers crossed and hope that he can get back to playing sooner rather than later."

In the last week of December 2022, the Indian wicketkeeper had a tragic accident while driving from Delhi to Roorkee. The left-hander was dealt with a major blow as he had to undergo surgery and will be missing out on the IPL. 

"They (Players like Pant) don’t grow on trees, players like that. We’ve got to look at – and we already are – a replacement to come into the squad, a wicketkeeper-batsman," the DC coach mentioned.

While commenting on the 25-year-old's future with the Capitals in the upcoming edition of the IPL, Ponting said:

"If he’s actually not physically fit enough to play, we’d still love to have him around. He’s the sort of cultural leader around the group, being the captain, and that attitude and infectious smile and laugh he has is what we all love so much about him."

 "If he’s actually able to travel and be around the team, then I want him sitting beside me in the dugout every day of the week.

"I’ll certainly be making sure, come the middle of March when we get together in Delhi and start our camps and stuff, if he’s able to be there, then I want him around the whole time."

Earlier in the month, Pant underwent knee surgery to repair the ligament damage in his right knee. His MCL and PCL were reconstructed in the recent surgery, but the southpaw will have to undergo another surgery to fix the ACL.

There is no definite timeline, but as per the doctors and BCCI management, the 25-year-old will require a minimum of six months to recover from the injury he has suffered.


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