Earlier this month, Rishabh Pant heaved a sigh of relief as the BCCI declared him fit for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, slated to get underway on March 22.
Notably, Pant has been out of competitive action ever since his horrific car crash in December 2022. He tore all three key ligaments in his right knee and had three successful reconstructive surgeries in the aftermath of the near-fatal accident.
The wicketkeeper-batter then underwent an extended rehabilitation at the NCA and missed out on all the action last year, including the IPL, WTC final, Asia Cup and World Cup.
On the eve of the IPL 2024 opener, Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach Ricky Ponting revealed that skipper Rishabh Pant is dedicating extra effort to regain confidence in his body for the marquee tournament.
"He (Pant) has probably batted more in the last week than he has ever batted leading into most of the IPLs. I think from his point of view, he wants to get a bit of trust back in his body again," said Ponting on the DC captain’s approach at the pre-season camp.
"He has been putting himself through a few different paces and playing all the shots that he plays. He has been great, and more importantly, he has got a smile on his face, which is what all we love to see," he added.
Ponting further mentioned that Pant has an infectious energy that ultimately rubs onto his teammates.
"We all love his infectious attitude and smile around the group. Although he is still young in age, he has actually played a lot of cricket. He sets an example, he has a lot of energy and that's why other people tend to follow."
DC's director of cricket Sourav Ganguly suggested that Rishabh Pant's unconventional batting style also reflects on his captaincy approach.
"He is not the conservative type of batter, so you expect that character in his captaincy. Nobody comes as a ready-made captain. You learn as you go and I think captaincy is by instinct. I'm looking forward to watching him during the tournament," said Ganguly.
He added that the cricketer had gone through a lot emotionally during his recovery phase.
"I'm surprised with the improvements he has made. Hopefully, it's a good season for him because he has gone through a lot emotionally. It's never easy when you go through that sort of injury," Ganguly stated.
"It will be great to see him back not just for the Delhi Capitals, but for the Delhi Ranji team and for India as well because he is a special talent, a special player," he further remarked.
Delhi Capitals will open their IPL 2024 campaign against Punjab Kings in Mohali on March 23.
(With PTI inputs)
