"He's the heartbeat of this franchise and having him back is
going to make this team a lot stronger," said Ponting.
After four hundred and fifty-three days since his last competitive encounter,
India wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is "jittery" to return to
cricket on Saturday afternoon when he leads the Delhi Capitals in their IPL
opener against the hosts Punjab Kings. Pant was forced to take a vacation after
a life-threatening vehicle accident on December 30, 2022, from which he
recovered successfully following intensive rehab.
"Jittery, nervous, excited - all of it," Pant said on the eve of his
first IPL match in two years, after missing the 2023 season. "At the same
time, I'm just pleased to be able to return to professional cricket. I am just
looking forward to playing my first game tomorrow."
Pant headed to Visakhapatnam, where the Capitals would play home matches, as
soon as the BCCI's medical panel pronounced him fit as a wicketkeeper and
batsman. According to Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting, Pant batted feverishly
in the nets like a child who had been denied his favorite pastime.
Pant said he did so to give himself "the best chance to
become a better cricketer" by practicing as much as he could.
Pant was characterized by Ponting as the team's "heartbeat".
"There's no doubt last year we missed our captain, we missed one of the
best players in the world," he added. "Just his attitude, smile, and
the way he plays cricket, he's a winner. He wants to win games.
"He constantly strives to do his best for the team.
When you bring that attitude back into a team, it spreads quickly. Everyone
wants to be like Rishabh and play cricket in the same way that he does. He is
our leader. He's the franchise's pulse, and having him back will improve and
strengthen this team significantly."
Ponting, the coach, is typically an optimistic and smiling person, but Pant's
return has gotten him really enthusiastic for the new season as the Capitals
aim to win the IPL for the first time. "The fact that he's back smiling
makes me happy as well. Knowing that I have my captain back, knowing that I
have one of the finest players in the world in all three formats back on my
side, I am smiling, as are his teammates."
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