Rishabh Pant has been appointed as the captain of the Delhi Capitals team for IPL 2021 and it is a continued sign of his rise in Indian cricket.
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Rishabh Pant has been the man of the summer for Indian cricket. His exploits in Australia were simply sensational. Against England, his keeping and batting went to a different level. His ability to utilize the DRS, as well as his efficiency behind the wickets in 2020/21 has been phenomenal. Gone are those days when the comparisons with MS Dhoni became a big stumbling block for Pant. The Dhoni comparisons saw him fumble a simple stumping during the series against Bangladesh in 2018. From that missed stumping to now captain of Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021, Pant’s roller-coaster journey is symbolic.
Ever since he burst onto the scene in 2016/17, Pant was hailed as the next big thing in Indian cricket. His fastest hundred, triple century and consistency in that season made him the player for all occasions. The Oval ton summed up his potential. His contributions on two consecutive tours of Australia is considered a ‘lifetime achievement’.
With the high ride of form with him, his appointment as captain of Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021 is a just reward. Even before the announcement, some Indian fans were surprised. Many players in the Delhi Capitals side are captains. R Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane and Steve Smith were all captains in the past. In spite of all these greats, Pant was still handed the job.
Ricky Ponting, the head coach of Delhi Capitals, probably has seen something of Pant that others have not. Pant’s fearless cricket and his aggression are perhaps the two tools missing in Delhi Capitals. Dhawan’s captaincy did not yield much for Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament. Ashwin’s past performance as captain of Punjab Kings might have gone against him. Steve Smith was forever tarnished by sandpapergate while with Rahane, it is a matter of where he plays. In the absence of Shreyas Iyer, it makes sense for a local Delhi lad to lead the side.
Delhi Capitals, in their new avatar, have started reaching the playoffs in the last two seasons. They reached Qualifier 2 in 2019 and in the final in 2020. In both those matches, they reached that stage by beating Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, in both the tournaments, there was a common trend.
Delhi Capitals started on a great note but ended up having a very poor middle stage. In 2020, they lost four consecutive games and almost gave away an assured play-off spot. If they have to win IPL 2021, they have to maintain consistency and ensure momentum does not dip.
Pant has match-winners galore at his disposal. Dhawan scored two tons in IPL 2020. Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje make up the pace battery. Axar Patel and R Ashwin were the superstars of India’s Test win against England. In addition, they have Stoinis and Pant in the middle order. Perhaps, the No.4 and No.3 positions are slightly worrisome due to the absence of Iyer.
Perhaps, with so much of talent in the side, it needs a fearless player like Pant to galvanise them into one unit. Ponting, Pant and the Delhi Capitals fans would be hoping that IPL 2021 is theirs. They would be looking to Pant to ensure the leader maintains the team calmness and momentum.
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