'Rishabh Pant is confident and wants to play for Delhi Capitals and India' - Sourav Ganguly

Ever since Rishabh Pant suffered a near-fatal car accident in December 2022, fans have prayed for his speedy recovery and anxiously waited for his return to the field.Come March, the cricketing community awaits with bated breath for Pant's highly-awaited comeback as he readies himself to take part in the 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) donning the Delhi Capitals jersey.

Last year, Pant was seen at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi as he had come to offer support to the Delhi Capitals, who were led by David Warner back then. This year, the star wicketkeeper-batter is going to return as the captain of the side. However, Parth Jindal, the franchise's co-owner, clarified that Pant would not be taking up wicketkeeping responsibilities in the first-half of the tournament.

Delhi Capitals' Director of Cricket, Sourav Ganguly, expressed his delight at having Pant back in the line-up. The former Indian skipper noted that Pant had put in significant effort to stage a comeback and expressed certainty in his capacity to represent both the Capitals and the Indian squad.

"It's a huge boost for Delhi Capitals because Indian players are gold in the IPL. Obviously, he has not played much cricket and I hope he gets back to rhythm very quickly. It's been a while he is away from competitive cricket, almost 17-18 months. He has worked very hard to make a comeback. He is confident and wants to play for Delhi Capitals and India. I am extremely happy he is back and hope he gets through the season," Ganguly said while speaking to Revsportz.

A look at Rishabh Pant's IPL numbers

Pant shot to fame with an impressive outing in the Under-19 World Cup in 2016. Delhi Capitals (then Delhi Daredevils) roped him in for INR 1.9 crore ahead of IPL 2017, and has gone on to become the face of the franchise.

In 98 IPL games, Pant has scored 2,838 runs at a fine average of 34.61 and a blistering strike rate of 147.97. The 26-year-old has also notched up 15 fifties and a solitary ton for the Delhi-based franchise. The return of a player of Pant's stature will make the Capitals look a much more formidable unit than they did last year when they finished in the ninth place on the points table.

The Capitals are set to begin their campaign in the IPL 2024 on Saturday, March 23, against the Punjab Kings at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali, with the match being the second one of the tournament and the first afternoon fixture.

Also Read: ‘He won't be the usual Rishabh Pant we are used to seeing’ - Sunil Gavaskar ahead of DC skipper’s return in IPL 2024