‘Delhi Capitals will miss Rishabh Pant. We want to win trophy…’: Young DC star's big admission, shares team mentality
Porel, who played under Pant's captaincy last season, said he learnt a lot from the Indian star and admitted that the franchise will miss him.
Young Delhi Capitals star Abishek Porel made an honest admission that the franchise will miss their former skipper Rishabh Pant in the upcoming season of IPL. Pant, who started his journey in IPL with DC and then also captained them in the past, was released from the team ahead of the mega auction. The wicketkeeper batter was signed by Lucknow Super Giants for a record-breaking INR 27 crore and also named their captain. On the other hand, Delhi Capitals named Axar Patel, who they retained, as their new captain.
Porel, who played under Pant's captaincy last season, said he learnt a lot from the Indian star and admitted that the franchise will miss him.
"I remember everything that Rishabh Pant has taught me. He is a match-winner. We will miss him. Cricket is a battle, we have to win," Porel told Sports Today.
Meanwhile, Patel will be riding high on confidence after getting elevated to captaincy spot as he has been in good form with both bat and ball. He also played a crucial role in India's incredible Champions Trophy's title-winning campaign.
Porel, who scored 327 runs last season, also hailed Axar's leadership sills as he likened it to Pant's captaincy.
"Bapu (Axar) is dangerous for the opposition. The last 2 years, I have great memories and bonds with Axar. Rishabh and Axar's captaincy is similar. They are very funny," he added.
"Delhi Capitals want to win the trophy. That is the mentality that the team has. We have a good team in IPL 2025. We want to play the final and win the trophy," he said.
‘I want to perform for the team’: Porel
Porel is expected to fill Pant's big shoes as Delhi's wicketkeeper batter this season, but he is unsure which position he will bat.
"Team management has not specifically told me about the role. I am ready to bat as an opener or at No. 3. Will play according to the team's demand," he added.
The 22-year-old doesn't care much about milestones much and said for him a positive result for team is important than scoring a century.
"I want to perform for the team. If I hit a hundred but the team loses, I will not be happy. If the team demands 20 off 10, I will do it. Team winning the match is most important for me," concluded Porel.
