Shikhar Dhawan's indecisiveness prompted the Delhi selectors to opt for Pant

The Delhi selectors yesterday announced their decision to appoint 19-year-old Rishabh Pant as the captain of the team for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy 2016-17. Opener Gautam Gambhir who has led the team all these and right through the ongoing season as well was conveyed that the selectors are looking for a future leader and Pant seems to be the right choice. But it was not that the selectors went to the wicketkeeper-batsman straightaway they also offered Shikhar Dhawan but his indecisiveness prompted them to look over him.

A member of the Atul Wasan led committee reached out to Dhawan but the opener said that he would prefer to have a word with his senior mate Gambhir before accepting the offer and the selectors weren’t really willing to give him that time. “One of the selectors first offered Dhawan the job. Dhawan told him that he would consult Gambhir before taking any call,” TOI quoted a source as saying.

Dhawan also has an eye on the spot in the Indian team and thus was reluctant. “He didn’t want to be seen someone who is ambitious to take captaincy,” the source said.

With Pant now leading the team in one-dayers it is highly likely that he will be handed over the mantle for the Ranji Trophy as well for the 2017-18 season. “Once you have taken the tough call on asking Gambhir not to captain in the shorter version of the game, it is more or less a message given to him that the selectors are also open for new leadership in future,” the source added.

Also read- I don’t want to jump into an international bubble anymore: Kevin Pietersen

How will the Delhi players and others accept this decision of giving an inexperienced player the bigger role as skipper will be interesting to see. “We have to see how the rest of Delhi cricket reacts to this,” another insider said.