In December 2022, Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant was involved in a car accident on his way from Delhi to Roorkee, which saw him suffer multiple injuries as he was admitted to a hospital in Dehradun.
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Pant only began to walk over a month after landing up in the hospital, and began the slow road to recovery later on in 2023. As a result, he missed the entirety of IPL 2023, India's Asia Cup campaign and the 2023 World Cup on home soil.
As a key part of the Indian Test setup, as well as having a role to play in the shorter formats, Pant's return to action has Indian fans eagerly awaiting news of his recovery.
IPL 2024: Rishabh Pant set to make a return, lead Delhi Capitals
Pant, currently in Dubai for the IPL 2024 mini-auction, shared insights into his recovery and aspirations for the upcoming season. Despite being in the midst of recovery from a car crash in late 2022, Pant is determined to be fit for the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL).
In a rare occurrence, Pant, the franchise captain, will be physically present at the auction table. This is unusual as many players are often unavailable due to international commitments. Pant's commitment to the auction signals his dedication to the team, even during the recovery phase.
Alongside Pant, the DC think tank, including head coach Ricky Ponting and director of cricket Sourav Ganguly, is also expected to be present at the auction. Ponting notably left his broadcasting duties for the Australia-Pakistan Test to attend IPL's first-ever overseas auction.
“Much better, given what I was doing a few months ago. I'm still on recovery to 100 per cent but hopefully, in a few months time I will be able to do it," Pant said in a video released by the Delhi Capitals on Twitter.
"Sometimes you want to explain to people the kind of player that you want. I feel if I am able to do that, I think most of the part is clear because playing does play a part but at the same time, if you can get the player you want for the team, then that would be the best thing.
"As of now, there is no expectation (from the auction), but really excited and looking forward to it, because it is something new and I have not done it. No experience about it, but really exciting times ahead," he added.
Stop everything and watch this interview 📽️
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 19, 2023
Presenting Rishabh Pant who's going to be on the #DC auction table for the first time EVER 🤗
P.S - We are so happy to see Rishabh BACK 🥹#IPL | @RishabhPant17 | @DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/4j6TWIrZsf
Delhi Capitals squad list for IPL 2024
Following the player retention/release deadline, DC have retained just 16 players. They are:
- Rishabh Pant
- David Warner*
- Mitchell Marsh*
- Prithvi Shaw
- Yash Dhull
- Axar Patel
- Lalit Yadav
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Ishant Sharma
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Pravin Dubey
- Mukesh Kumar
- Vicky Ostwal
- Anrich Nortje*
- Lungi Ngidi*
- Abishek Porel
*overseas players
MORE: WPL 2024 Auction: Date, venue, and full list of 165 available players
Which players should Delhi Capitals buy in the IPL 2024 auction?
The Delhi Capitals have released 11 players while retaining 16 ahead of the IPL 2024. The Capitals have let go off of some big-money buys from the 2023 IPL Auction.
The Delhi-based outfit head into the mini-auction with a spending capacity of INR 28.95 Crores. DC can rope in a maximum of nine players in total, including four overseas players.
They released the likes of Rovman Powell, Rilee Rossouw, and Manish Pandey. The Capitals are in dire need of at least two experienced middle-order batsmen. Moreover, there are doubts over the availability of squad captain, Rishabh Pant. If the Southpaw is to miss the campaign, the troubles will only increase for the Capitals.
The bowling looks good to go with the likes of Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Anrich Nortje, and Lungi Ngidi being retained. Even the part-timers in Mitchell Marsh and Lalit Yadav have been retained ahead of the auction.
The Delhi Capitals would hope to rope in some overseas firepower in their batting order.
Daryl Mitchell
Daryl Mitchell could be the target that the Delhi Capitals will vouch for at the auction table. The Capitals need to replace outgoing Rovman Powell and Rilee Rossouw. And who better to replace them with, than an in-form Mitchell.
Mitchell has also proved his mettle on Indian soil. He was New Zealand's glue that was sticking an otherwise strangled batting line-up. Mitchell has taken responsibility, and batted well under pressure. Could he be on his way to the Indian capital city in IPL 2024?
MORE: Who will RCB buy in IPL 2024 auction?
Shahrukh Khan
Talking about middle-order slots, DC would be highly obliged to their counterparts, if they were to get Shahrukh Khan. The Tamil Nadu-born all-rounder is a hard-hitting batter and would provide solidity in the lower middle order.
Khan is expected to bag big at the auction, but DC need not worry about the price. They have a ransom amount of 28.95 Crores at their disposal. If they prioritise their targets, only a few teams could compete at their prices.
Pat Cummins
Having released Mustafizur Rahman, the Capitals could upgrade on him in the form of Pat Cummins. Pat Cummins is a proven leader too, and would add to the experience in the team.
We saw how Anrich Nortje was taken to the cleaners in IPL 2023. Inclusion of Cummins in the XI could be the X factor for Delhi. Moreover, Cummins has become a genuine all-rounder in the T20 format. The versatility of the Aussie could do the Capitals, the world of good.
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