Ricky Ponting Wants Rishabh Pant to Be Present at Delhi Capitals Dugout During IPL 2023
New Delhi: Indian wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant survived a horrific accident last month, when he was arriving from Delhi to his hometown Roorkee. But the accident means that the 25-year old won’t be taking part in the upcoming IPL 2023 and is even doubtful for the ICC Cricket World Cup in October.
Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting have made it clear that players like the wicket-keeper batsman cannot be replaced as they don’t grow on trees. He also added that the IPL franchise has already started looking for a replacement for the upcoming season.
“You can’t replace those guys, simple as that. They 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,” Ponting told on The ICC Review Show.
The former Australian skipper said that if he his permitted then he would love to have him everyday during the IPL by his side at the dugout, since he is the sort of ‘cultural leader’ the group would love to have.
“If he is 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”, he added.