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'If Rishabh isn't physically fit to play...': Ponting's strange IPL request for Pant, reveals chat with injured batter
Rishabh Pant might have been ruled out of the IPL but Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting wants the India wicketkeeper sitting next to him in the dugout during the Indian Premier League 2023.
Rishabh Pant might have been ruled out of the IPL but Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting wants the India wicketkeeper sitting next to him in the dugout during the Indian Premier League 2023. Pant is currently recovering from a horrific car accident which he suffered on December 29, and is expected to be out of action for nearly a year, all but ruling him out of the upcoming IPL. But Ponting in a strange request, is keen on having Pant around with DC – of course given he is physically allowed – while the Capitals search for his replacement as captain and wicketkeeper.
"You can't replace those guys, simple as that. They don't grow on trees, players like that. We've got to look at – and we already are – a replacement to come into the squad, a wicketkeeper-batsman," Ponting said on The ICC Review Show.
"If he is actually not physically fit enough to play, we'd still love to have him around. He's the sort of cultural leader around the group, being the captain, and that attitude and infectious smile and laugh he has is what we all love so much about him. If he's actually able to travel and be around the team, then I want him sitting beside me in the dugout every day of the week. I'll certainly be making sure, come the middle of March when we get together in Delhi and start our camps and stuff, if he's able to be there, then I want him around the whole time."
Pant was on his way from Delhi to Roorkee where his car met with an accident. The wicketkeeper batter was taken to a local hospital from where he was transferred to Dehradun's Max Hospital. Pant was then airlifted to Mumbai where he successfully underwent three surgeries after tearing all three key ligaments in his knee. And while there is no set timeframe about his return, Pant is expected to be out for action for most of 2023.
As per reports, Pant will be discharged soon after which his strengthening will begin, which can take up to 2-4 months. Ponting, one of the biggest vocal supporters of Pant, revealed that he recently had a chat with the India youngster and hopes he returns to action at the earliest.
"I absolutely love the bloke, I told him that on the phone the last couple of days. It was a horrifying time, a really scary time for everybody, let alone him. Anyone that knows him loves him – he's a really infectious young guy that has the world at his feet still. So we will keep our fingers crossed and hope that he can get back to playing sooner rather than later," Ponting added.
