(Cricket News) It could not be confirmed, however, if Pant will return as a wicketkeeper-batter, his usual role, or as a specialist batter. ESPNcricinfo understands that the franchise expects Pant, who missed the 2023 season after suffering serious injuries in a car crash in December 2022, to be fully fit by the end of February. All things considered, the Delhi Capitals are understood to be happy to have Pant as captain and batter.
When Pant attended a Capitals camp in Kolkata in November, there was the first indication that he might be returning to the IPL. Senior franchise support staff, such as Sourav Ganguly (director of cricket), Ricky Ponting (head coach), and Pravin Amre (assistant coach), were also present. Pant then participated in the talks about player retention and release prior to the next auction, which is set for December 19 in Dubai, as well as the creation of an initial auction plan.
After his three major ligaments in his right knee were torn in the car accident, Pant was declared ineligible to play cricket in 2023. Since then, he has recovered from the surgeries with success and has been receiving treatment at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Pant has been posting videos on social media recently, indicating that his recovery is proceeding as expected.
Although he has resumed batting, it is unclear if he has been taking wickets. The BCCI has not released an official statement on Pant since July, when it stated that he had made “significant progress in his rehabilitation and has commenced batting as well as keeping in the nets.”
In Pant’s absence last season, the Capitals appointed David Warner as interim captain; they finished second from bottom, with five wins and nine losses in 14 league games. If Pant is cleared by the NCA by February of next year, as the franchise anticipates, the IPL will be the first tournament he will play since appearing in the Bangladesh tour in late 2022.
