Happy to be back in professional cricket after 14 months – Rishabh Pant

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Mullanpur. Delhi Capitals, the franchise co-owned by JSW and GMR, is all set to start their IPL 2024 campaign when they take on Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadvendra Singh Cricket Stadium in Mohali on Saturday.

Addressing the media at the pre-match press conference, captain Rishabh Pant spoke at length about his feelings about returning to professional cricket after 14 months.

Pant said that he is a little nervous and excited, but at the same time, happy to be back in professional cricket. I’m looking forward to playing my first game tomorrow. Every time I step on the field, it’s a completely different feeling. I just wanted to bat as much as possible and get better every day. I don’t think too far ahead, I take one day at a time and give my 100 per cent.

Speaking about the approach this season, the captain said that most of the conversations are very simple, we just want to go out there, have fun, not complicate things and give our 100 percent in all the games.

Talking about the team’s preparations for the season, head coach Ricky Ponting said that make no mistake, we have got a great team this year. Our preparation has been perfect. We’re just trying to top it today, and make sure we put in a good performance. A performance that I know will be good enough to win the game tomorrow.

When Ponting was asked about Pant’s return as captain and his preparations for the season, he said that we are about to start an IPL, it is a really exciting time of the year. It becomes more exciting when your captain comes back to your team. He is our leader, he is the heartbeat of this franchise and having him back will make this team much stronger.

He concluded that before coming here we had trained for a week in Vizag and trust me Rishabh is back and ready to play. He will be a little nervous tomorrow, playing his first match in a while but nervousness is always good because it means something to you. I’ve seen the level his game is at, and don’t be surprised if something special happens tomorrow.

–IANS

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