Rishabh Pant is all set to return to domestic red-ball cricket as he will take part in the second leg of Ranji Trophy. The southpaw, who last played in the tournament in 2018, refused to don the captain’s hat and instead backed Ayush Badoni to continue as skipper. While reports claimed that it was a strategic move from the DDCA to allow Pant to lead the team, details have now emerged as to why the keeper-batter refused the responsibility.
Unfamiliarity reason behind Pant’s refusal to captain
As per Cricblogger, Pant’s lack of familiarity with the Delhi side forced him to refuse captaincy. The report claims that the southpaw has lesser knowledge of the capabilities of the players in the side and the team’s ecosystem. The keeper-batter has reportedly promised the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) to help captain Badoni in all means possible to get a favourable result for the side. Delhi will take on Saurashtra in their first match of Ranji Trophy second leg which commences on January 23.
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Pant is no stranger to captaincy, having led Delhi Capitals in multiple seasons of the IPL. A report had earlier stated that the DDCA’s move to allow the southpaw to captain the side was to give him a platform to showcase his leadership abilities in the domestic circuit. It was also aimed at grooming Pant as the potential future Indian captain in Tests.
After making his comeback to Tests in 2024 following a horrific car crash in December 2023, Pant excelled at home but failed to fire in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia. He managed to score just 255 runs in 9 innings, failing to convert good starts into great knocks on most occasions, mainly due to his shot selection. To date, the southpaw has played just 17 Ranji Trophy matches, a record that is too poor for a player of his stature.
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