Delhi Capitals (DC) have named Australia’s David Warner as their captain for the upcoming IPL 2023 after it was confirmed that regular skipper Rishabh Pant will be out for an extended period of time as he recovers from his accident in December last year.
Only recently, Pant shared a video of him trying to walk with the help of crutches in a swimming pool. The wicketkeeper-batter has begun his road to recovery but it is likely that the India star is unlikely to return to action at least until the end of the year.
Rishabh Pant had captained Delhi for two seasons in IPL in 2021 and 2022, while Warner was bought by DC in IPL 2022 mega auction after his unceremonious exit from Sunrisers Hyderabad, whom he had led to IPL glory in IPL 2016.
Warner will continue to work with head coach Ricky Ponting at Delhi Capitals.
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"Rishabh has been a terrific leader for Delhi Capitals, and we're all going to miss having him around. I would like to thank the management for the faith and trust they've always shown in me. This franchise has always been home for me, and I couldn't be more excited to lead such a supremely talented bunch of players. I can't wait to meet them all, and get cracking! ," Warner said in a statement.
Speaking about the latest appointments, Delhi Capitals Chairman and co-owner Parth Jindal said: "In Rishabh’s absence, there couldn’t have been a more apt candidate than David to lead the Delhi Capitals. With him as our leader, and Ricky (Ponting) and Dada (Ganguly) overseeing all proceedings, I have no doubt that we are going to be the team to watch out for in the competition."
Also returning to DC camp will be Sourav Ganguly, who will join as the director of cricket and will take charge of all the verticals of the Capitals franchise, including the Women's Premier League team, Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 and Dubai Capitals in the ILT20.
Speaking about the appointment, Sourav Ganguly said he is excited to return to Delhi Capitals.
"I’m excited to be back with the Delhi Capitals. My association with the women’s team, and the Pretoria Capitals over the last few months has been fantastic, and I’m looking forward to the upcoming season of the IPL. Delhi Capitals had done well as a team during my last stint with them.
I’ve already been involved with the players this time around, and I’m keen to see them as a group. Hopefully, we will all have a great time over the next couple of months,” Ganguly said.
Ganguly’s stint as the BCCI president ended after Roger Binny, the 1983 World Cup winner, was unanimously elected as the president in October 2022. Notably, Ganguly was reportedly offered the role of the IPL chairman but the former India captain politely refused the offer.
(India Today inputs)
