Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant‘s kit bag and luggage have already arrived at Delhi’s team hotel in Rajkot, signalling his return to domestic cricket ahead of their Ranji Trophy clash against Saurashtra, set to begin on January 23. However, the star player has declined to lead the Delhi side, with Ayush Badoni continuing as captain.
Pant last played in the Ranji Trophy during the 2017/18 season, leading Delhi to the final against Vidarbha in Indore. Despite his efforts, including scores of 21 and 32 in the title clash, Delhi lost by nine wickets. In that season, Pant amassed 315 runs in seven matches at an average of 35.00, with a highest score of 99.
Delhi, currently placed fourth in their group with 14 points after one win, one loss and three draws, will be bolstered by Pant’s presence as they aim to improve their standings.
Why Rishabh Pant will not lead the Delhi side?
According to a report by Cricbuzz, Pant was offered the captaincy but chose to step aside, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the team’s current structure. “He believed it wouldn’t be right to step in as captain solely based on his experience as an international and IPL franchise skipper. He expressed confidence in the current captain [Ayush Badoni] and coach [Sarandeep Singh] to carry forward the team’s vision,” a source close to the development was quoted as saying to Cricbuzz.
Pant’s return to the Delhi squad comes after a notable performance in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, where he scored 255 runs in five matches across nine innings, averaging 28.33 with a strike rate of 59.02. His contributions included a half-century and helped him finish as the sixth-highest run-getter in the series.
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National stars reunite with domestic teams
Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal has rejoined the Mumbai squad for training sessions ahead of the second phase of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy. He was recently spotted during an open nets session at the Bandra Kurla Complex Ground. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma skipped the recent practice session but was seen jogging at the same complex. The development comes ahead of Mumbai’s match against Jammu and Kashmir on January 23.
Shubman Gill has also confirmed his availability for Punjab’s sixth-round fixture against Karnataka, set to commence on January 23 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
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