Former Indian batter Ajay Jadeja said DC coach Ricky Ponting backed Rishabh Pant over Shreyas Iyer for the captain’s role as he thought the wicket-keeper batsman to be the better option between the two.
Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja said that Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting had worked with both Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He pointed out that Ponting might have felt that Pant was a better candidate to lead the side and hence picked him over Iyer as the team’s full-time captain.
After an impressive stint last season as captain, Pant was retained ahead of the 2022 auction by the team management.
After Rishabh took over as Delhi’s full-time captain, Shreyas Iyer left the Capitals. He was then roped in by the Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL 2022 auction and was handed the franchise’s captaincy.
“Rishabh Pant’s decisions have been good and he is an aggressive player. It seemed like he was playing a senior role very early in his career. The youth factor must stay intact. It was amazing to see him play this way today. Nobody expects him to go out there and play like the rest of the batters, ” Jadeja said while speaking on cricbuzz.
“At times, when someone is made captain, you can feel that someone’s guiding them. But with Pant, it’s clear that he is the one calling the shots. Ricky Ponting backed Rishabh Pant ahead of ex-captain Shreyas Iyer. He saw both of them and selected Pant to lead the side as he thought him to be the better option out of the two,” Jadeja said.
Mitchell Marsh picked 2 for 25 and hit a 62-ball 89 to script an important win for DC who are firmly in contention for a playoffs berth. DC now have 12 points from 12 matches this season.
