Delhi Capitals over the last few years have performed well both on the field and off the field. This year also looked pretty similar to previous seasons at the auction table when they bought Philip Salt and Rilee Rossouw at a combined figure of just Rs. 6.60 crores. These two picks were the biggest steals of this year’s auction.
All was going well till 30th December 2022 when Rishabh Pant suffered horrific injuries in a car accident ruling him out for this year’s IPL. With Pant out of the team DC have a huge task to replace the southpaw keeper.
Replacing Rishabh Pant
In absence of Pant, David Warner has been appointed as the captain of the franchise with Axar Patel as his deputy. Replacing Pant as the captain will not be a very difficult task with Warner’s successful experience of being the captain with the Sunrisers franchise.
Pant as a batter is pretty much irreplaceable his aggressive batting heroics are difficult to be replicated by anyone let alone an Indian player. Axar’s recent performance in the middle order for the Indian team in T20s could make the possible case of replacing Pant with the bat in hand. Patel with the bat for India in T20s against Sri Lanka earlier this year scored 117 runs in just 60 balls at a whopping strike rate of 195.
DC failed to sign a regular wicket-keeper which means that Philip Salt will don the gloves for the Warner-led side.
Probable XI
David Warner (C), Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh, Philip Salt, Axar Patel, Sarfaraz Khan, Lalit Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya, Khaleel Ahmed/Mukesh Kumar/Ishant Sharma
This XI still looks challenging but with a lack of depth and replacement options, DC would not like anything happening to these players. With home and away matches slow pitches assisting spinners can make the management choose Mukesh Kumar over the likes of Khaleel and Ishant.
The DC team will surely miss Pant and his aggressive batting and in his it will be tough for the team to make it into the playoffs.
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