Former India captain, Mohammad Azharuddin is of the opinion that the young Indian wicket-keeper batsman, Rishabh Pant has the potential to lead the Indian team as well in the years ahead. Delhi Capitals on Tuesday appointed Pant as the captain of the side for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The wicket-keeper batsman will be replacing Shreyas Iyer as the captain for the 14th edition of the tournament as the latter has hurt his left shoulder during the recently concluded India-England ODI series.
Azharuddin, who played 334 ODIs and 99 Test matches for India, on Wednesday said he won’t be surprised if selectors consider Pant as an option to lead in the Indian team in the near future.
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Mohammad Azharuddin had tweeted, “Rishabh Pant has had such fabulous few months, establishing himself in all formats. It won’t come as a surprise if the selectors see him as a front-runner fr Indian captaincy in near future. His attacking cricket will stand India in good stead in times to come.”
Rishabh Pant has had such fabulous few months,establishing himself in all formats. It won’t come as a surprise if the selectors see him as a front-runner fr Indian captaincy in near future.His attacking cricket will stand India in good stead in times to come.@RishabhPant17 @BCCI
— Mohammed Azharuddin (@azharflicks) March 31, 2021
Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting also feels captaincy will make Pant a better player. The DC coach also said Pant deserves to lead the franchise looking at his recent performances.
Tweeting about the same, Ricky Ponting wrote: “Unfortunate that Shreyas will miss the tournament, but looking forward to seeing @RishabhPant17 grab his opportunity. It’s well deserved for his recent performances and he’s coming in with a lot of confidence. I’m convinced captaincy will make him an even better player.”
Unfortunate that Shreyas will miss the tournament, but looking forward to seeing @RishabhPant17 grab his opportunity. It's well deserved for his recent performances and he's coming in with a lot of confidence. I'm convinced captaincy will make him an even better player. https://t.co/tVqMnLt1Er
— Ricky Ponting AO (@RickyPonting) March 31, 2021
On his new role, Pant in a statement said, “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 harbored. 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.”
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Delhi Capitals will be commencing their IPL 2021 campaign against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 10.
