IPL 2023: Sarfaraz Khan wicketkeeping – Delhi Capitals have a Rishabh Pant-shaped hole in their side and the franchise are only halfway close to filling the gap. While the captaincy conundrum was lifted with David Warner’s announcement as skipper, DC are yet to name a replacement for the wicketkeeper slot. With Phil Salt the only specialist keeper but unlikely to feature, Ricky Ponting has turned his attention to Sarfaraz Khan to take over the mantle. Follow IPL 2023 LIVE Updates on Insidesport.IN
Sarfaraz Khan doing keeping drills. @DelhiCapitals training.
Video: @kushansarkar #IPL2023 pic.twitter.com/VbXQQEx61s— Kushan Sarkar (@kushansarkar) March 28, 2023
Delhi Capitals are set to name a replacement for Rishabh Pant soon but could very well have unearthed a keeper in their side. Once Pant’s absence was confirmed, Delhi’s worst fears were confirmed as the franchise only had one specialist keeper barring their captain. Given their overseas combination, it is unlikely that Phil Salt features leaving the Ricky Ponting-coached side in a fix.
However, to their relief, Sarfaraz Khan seems to be stepping up. A red ball behemoth over the last couple of years, Sarfaraz occasionally keeps wickets, having done so in local Mumbai tournaments. He also kept wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and has done so for RCB in his first IPL stint.
David Warner and Mitch Marsh are batting. Sarfaraz Khan is keeping pic.twitter.com/1hWJUUIMQL
— Kushan Sarkar (@kushansarkar) March 28, 2023
On Tuesday, during a practice session at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Sarfaraz Khan went through some keeping drills. He also kept wickets during the intra-squad practice match. If the sessions are anything to go by, it is likely that the 25-year-old takes his spot behind the stumps when Delhi Capitals begin their IPL 2023 campaign.
Manish Pandey is also an option for Delhi Capitals. Pandey has sporadically kept wickets for Karnataka including the game against Uttar Pradesh last year. He also did wicketkeeping during an A tour to Sri Lanka some years back. However, Sarfaraz is a far more accomplished keeper and is set to get the nod.
While Sarfaraz is likely to be the first choice, Delhi Capitals are still on the lookout for a specialist keeper. The franchise held trials last week with the likes of Sheldon Jackson, Luvnith Siodia and Vivek Singh among the ones making an impression. A final decision on the same is expected in the coming days.
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