Rishabh Pant to be Delhi Capitals captain for IPL 2021 edition? Here’s the update
It was heartbreaking news as Delhi Capitals captain Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out for the entire Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season due to a dislocated shoulder. Iyer sustained the injury when he hurt his left shoulder while fielding during the 8th over of the IND vs ENG 1st ODI match. It was earlier being speculated that the right-handed batsman may only miss the remaining two ODIs against England and some part of the IPL, but he will now have to undergo a surgery on his shoulder and that could keep him out of the game for a while.
Rishabh Pant to be Delhi Capitals Captain?
With Iyer set to miss the upcoming 14th edition of the IPL, it is a big blow for his franchise Delhi Capitals (DC) who is now pondering over the new captain choices. The likes of Rishabh Pant, Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Ravichandran Ashwin and Steve Smith are the top contenders to replace Iyer as the new DC captain. After a fabulous performance with the bat in the recent few months, Pant is surely the frontrunner for the captaincy role but the lack of experience in the same could very well go against him.
“Pant is the first name that pops up in everyone’s mind. He is the hot property at the moment. But a few in the management pointed out that his lack of experience in captaining a team could go against him. Also, there’s thought that the added responsibility could hamper his form,” a source told TOI.
No consensus on who should be DC captain yet-adds source
The source stated that the team management is yet to take a final call on the new DC captain. It is also understood that a group in the DC management is pretty much convinced with Pant replacing Iyer as the skipper for the upcoming edition of the IPL while some members feel the need for an experienced option for the important role. IPL 2021 will kickoff from April 9 with Mumbai Indians taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore in the tournament opener in Chennai. Delhi Capitals will lock horns with Chennai Super Kings in their first match of the season on April 10 in Mumbai.
“There is no consensus on who should be captain yet. There’s a faction of the management which is convinced that Pant should assume charge and then there’s another which is keen to have an experienced captain,” the source added.
