Reports: Abishek Porel set to be named as replacement for Rishabh Pant ahead of IPL 2023

The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 is scheduled to begin on March 31, and with the start of the forthcoming edition comes a lot of injuries for many franchises.

One of the biggest misses of the competition would be Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant. The 25-year-old was in a car accident in December 2022, which rendered him out of contention for most of the 2023 season, meaning that he will miss the upcoming edition of the IPL.

Delhi have been keen on announcing a replacement for the injured Pant, and there have been reports that 20-year-old left handed wicketkeeper batter Abishek Porel will be announced as his replacement in the Delhi squad.

Porel has played 16 first-class matches, three List A matches, and three T20 matches, where he has accumulated 694, 54, and 22 runs to his name, respectively. It could prove to be quite a gamble for Delhi if they do announce Porel as Pant’s replacement due to the former’s inexperience in the game.

However, the Bengal batter has done well recently, and the IPL could prove to be just the opportunity he needs to prove his talent at the highest level. In Pant’s absence, David Warner will be leading Delhi Capitals, and it could be interesting to see how the side fares without the star keeper-batter.

Delhi Capitals take on Lucknow Super Giants in their first game

The David Warner-led Delhi Capitals will be taking on Lucknow Super Giants in their match of the IPL 2023. The match will be played at the Ekana Sports City Stadium on Saturday, April 1, and despite missing Pant, Delhi will be keen on registering their first win of the season.

They will also be desperate to improve upon their performances from the IPL 2022, where they barely missed out on the playoff qualification spot after they finished fifth in the IPL points table with 14 points in 14 matches.