In a bid to win their maiden IPL trophy, Delhi Capitals have named Rishabh Pant as their captain for the upcoming edition after their regular skipper Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the tournament owing to a shoulder injury which he sustained during the recently concluded India-England series. It was in the first ODI that Iyer dislocated his shoulder.
The 23-year-old will be captaining in the IPL for the first time. The wicket-keeper batsman has earlier led his state side Delhi. He was the captain of Delhi during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2017.
"Rishabh Pant will be our Captain for #IPL2021. @ShreyasIyer15 has been ruled out of the upcoming season following his injury in the #INDvENG series," Delhi Capitals tweeted.
Rishabh Pant feels humbled after getting the opportunity to lead the Delhi Capitals.
"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," Rishabh Pant quipped after getting named as the DC skipper.
Chairman of the Delhi Capitals and also their co-owner Mr Kiran Kumar Gandhi wished Shreyas Iyer a speedy recovery.
“I would like to wish Shreyas a speedy recovery,” said Kiran Kumar Grandhi. “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.”
“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,” said team co-owner Mr Parth Jindal, “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.”
Iyer will undergo shoulder surgery on 8th April and will atleast take 5 months to completely recover. In 2020, Iyer led the Delhi Capitals to their first IPL final only to lose to the Mumbai Indians in the final. Iyer said that he had no doubt in his mind that Pant will be the ideal man for the job.
“When I sustained the shoulder injury, and Delhi Capitals needed a leader for this edition of the IPL, I had no doubt that Rishabh would be the best man for the job.
"He has all my good wishes to make amazing things happen with our absolutely incredible team. I’m going to miss the team tremendously, and will be cheering for them throughout," Iyer said.