IPL 2021: Rishabh Pant to lead Delhi Capitals in the upcoming season

The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from April 9 to May 30 in India across six venues. Ahead of the T20 Championship, IPL franchise Delhi Capitals (DC) were dealt with a massive blow as their skipper and India’s ace middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer had sustained a shoulder injury while fielding in the first One Day International of the three-match series against England in Pune.

The batsman is all set to undergo surgery in the month of April and will be out of action for at least 5-6 months. Iyer is expected to make a comeback to competitive cricket in the month of September only. With Shreyas set to miss the IPL 2021, Delhi Capitals had a big headache of finding a suitable leader to replace the batsman.

After a thorough discussion, Capitals have reached the decision of handing over the captaincy to Rishabh Pant. Pant has been in fine form in international cricket and also boasts of having stunning records under his belt in the Indian Premier League.

DC Chairman & Co-owner Mr Kiran Kumar Grandhi made the big announcement of Pant leading the side in the highly-anticipated upcoming league. “I would like to wish Shreyas a speedy recovery. Under Shreyas’ captaincy, our team reached newer heights, and he is going to be missed immensely. In his absence, the franchise has collectively picked Rishabh to lead the team this year. While it has come under unfortunate circumstances, it is a tremendous opportunity for him to grow further. I wish him all the best in his new role,” the DC Chairman said as quoted by DC’s official website.

Rishabh Pant opens up on leading DC in IPL 2021

Team’s Co-owner Parth Jindal also echoed the same sentiments as he stated, “There is no doubt that Shreyas Iyer’s leadership and batting will be missed this year, and we hope to see him back on the field soon. Delhi Capitals as a team plays a passionate and fearless brand of cricket, and Rishabh Pant embodies that best. The Delhi team has played an important role in his growth as a cricketer, just like he has played an equally important role in the growth of the Delhi team. I wish Rishabh and the team good luck.”

Rishabh Pant, who will be making his captaincy debut in IPL 2021, opined on his new role by reckoning that it has been his dream to lead the Delhi-based franchise. Pant also expressed his gratitude to the team management for showing their trust in his abilities.

“Delhi is where I grew up, and where my IPL journey began six years ago. To lead this team one day is a dream I’ve always harboured. And today, as that dream comes true, I feel humbled. I am truly grateful, especially to our team owners, who considered me capable enough for this role. With an amazing coaching staff, and a plethora of accomplished seniors around me, I can’t wait to give my absolute best for Delhi Capitals,” said Pant.