IPL 2023: "I am 13th player"- Rishabh Pant tweets as DC prepare for their opening bout v LSG

Rishabh Pant has been replaced in DC side by Abishek Porel.

Delhi Capitals (DC) will play their first match of the IPL 2023 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on April 1, they will certainly miss their captain Rishabh Pant.

Pant was involved in a serious car accident on New Year’s Eve and was taken to a hospital in Dehradun for primary care and was then airlifted to Mumbai by BCCI where he underwent surgery for his knee injury.

Now he has been rehabbing and recovering from the injury and was officially ruled of IPL 2023 a couple of days ago with Abishek Porel joining the DC camp. David Warner was named the captain if the side in Pant’s absence.

Ahead of their IPL 2023 opener against LSG, DC posted a graphic asking the fans to predict their playing XI with the name of David Warner on the sheet.

IPL 2023: David Warner wants Rishabh Pant to take it 'slow and easy' as he recovers from multiple injuries

“It's that time of the year again. Predict our XI stars who will take the field against #LSG,” DC tweeted.  

This led to Rishabh Pant tweeting that he is the 13^th man due to the impact player rule, else would’ve been the 12^th man.

“I am 13 th player coz of impact rule otherwise would have been 12 th man,” Pant tweeted.

There is no time frame on return of Rishabh Pant to cricket, but everyone has him in their prayers and want to see him return to the game as soon as possible.