Delhi Capitals will begin their IPL 2024 campaign against Punjab Kings in Mohali on Saturday. Rishabh Pant is making a comeback to cricket after 14 months.
Chandigarh: Rishabh Pant is feeling a bit jittery and nervous but excited at the same time as the Delhi Capitals captain is making a comeback to cricket after 14 months against Punjab Kings in their IPL 2024 opener at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium in Mohali on Saturday. Pant, who suffered a near-fatal car accident on December 30, 2022, underwent a few ligament surgeries before starting his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
Unlike the previous years, Pant spent more time in the preparations to gain trust back in his body again, something that impressed head coach Ricky Ponting. “Jittery, nervous, excited- all of it, but at the same time, just happy, being able to come back to professional cricket. I’m just looking forward to playing my first game tomorrow,” Pant expressed at the pre-match press conference on Friday.
However, while Pant have worked a lot on his batting, it is unlikely he will keep wickets against Punjab Kings. Avishek Porel, who donned the big gloves last season, is expected to do the tough job again. “Every time I take the field, it’s a different feeling altogether. I just wanted to bat as much as I could and get better every day. I don’t think much ahead, I take one day at a time, and give my 100%,” he added.
For the unknown, Delhi Capitals will be playing two of their home games in Visakhapatnam, the first of which is happening on Saturday. Speaking about the approach this season, Pant said “Most of the conversations are pretty simple, we just want to go out there, have fun, not complicate things and give our 100% in all the games.”
Ponting also echoed Pant, stating Delhi Capitals are looking much better side this year. “Make no mistake, we have got a great team this year. Our preparations have been absolutely perfect. We are just looking to topping it off today, and make sure we put a performance that I know would be good enough to win the game tomorrow,” said the two-time World Cup-winning former Australian captain.
When asked about Pant’s return as the captain and his preparations for the season, Ponting said, “We are about to start an IPL, it’s really an exciting time of the year. It becomes more exciting when your captain is back in your team. He is our leader, he is the heartbeat of this franchise and having him back is going to make this team a lot stronger.”
“We had a week’s training in Vizag before coming here and trust me Rishabh is back and ready to play. He will be a little bit nervous tomorrow, playing his first game in a while but nerves are always good because it means something to you. I’ve seen where his game is at, and don’t be surprised if something special happens tomorrow,” he concluded.