The Delhi Capitals named Axar Patel as their stand-in captain for the IPL match against RCB due to Rishabh Pant’s one-match ban.
The Delhi Capitals (DC) are facing a leadership challenge in the IPL 2024 season. Regular captain Rishabh Pant received a one-match ban for a slow over-rate during their match against the Rajasthan Royals, forcing him to miss the upcoming game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on May 12th.
With rumours swirling about Pant’s replacement, DC turned to a familiar face—all-rounder Axar Patel. Head coach Ricky Ponting confirmed Axar’s appointment as stand-in captain, praising his experience and cricketing sense.
“He (Axar) has been Vice Captain at this franchise for the last couple of seasons. A very experienced IPL player, an experienced international player, a sensible guy, understands the game really well. He’s excited about it. We started talking about it a couple of days ago when there was a possibility that Rishabh might be banned,” said Ponting at the pre-match press conference.
“He’s got his head around it. We’ve done our bowlers’ meetings today. He’ll catch up with all the guys tonight, go through all the plans, and make sure that he’s ready to lead the team well tomorrow. They’re all tough games in the IPL. If you wind the clock back two weeks, RCB weren’t playing anywhere near their best. And, now, they probably played as well as anybody else in the tournament,” he added.
ALSO READ | Sri Lanka Cricket Announces Massive Salary Hike For Players Ahead of T20 World Cup
While Axar steps up for leadership, DC is also facing issues with their opening batter position. Star player David Warner has been sidelined with a finger injury, leaving a gap alongside the in-form Jake Fraser-McGurk. Coach Ponting offered some hope, revealing that Warner has been training intensively and could potentially return against RCB.
“David Warner missed the last game; he got that nasty knock on his hand about a month ago now and hasn’t played a game since. He trained really strongly yesterday; he’ll be out hitting balls in the middle now, so he’ll be doing some more batting today. Hopefully, he’s available for selection tomorrow,” he concluded.
Last Updated on May 11, 2024
