Rishabh Pant was involved in a tragic accident on Friday morning (December 30) in Roorkee. Around 5:30 a.m., the 25-year-old cricketer's car collided with a divider and caught fire. Pant managed to escape by breaking the windscreen, although he was severely injured. He is currently being treated in Dehradun's Max Hospital.
On Friday afternoon, the BCCI issued a statement in which it provided an official update on Pant's injury. The left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman has two wounds on his forehead, a ligament injury in his right knee, injuries to his right wrist, ankle, and toe, and back abrasions.
These injuries will take time to heal, and according to reports, the batsman will need at least three to six months to rehabilitate, ruling him out of the Indian Premier League in 2023.
Pant leads the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. He was given the job ahead of the start of the 2021 season. If he does not recover, which seems unlikely, DC will have to recruit a new captain as well as a wicketkeeper-batter. They have some players who can fill in if needed.
Here’s a look at some possible captaincy candidates for the Delhi Capitals in Pant’s absence-
David Warner
David Warner, the Australian opening batter, will be the main candidate to replace Pant as captain of the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2023. He has significant IPL experience, having captained a franchise. He was the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad when they won the IPL in 2016.
Prithvi Shaw
Former India U-19 captain Prithvi Shaw is another candidate who might lead the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2023. He captained the Mumbai team in domestic cricket, guiding them win the Vijay Hazare Trophy and reach the Ranji Trophy final in the 2021-22 season. He won the World Cup as the U-19 captain in 2018.
Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey was acquired by the Delhi Capitals for Rs 2.4 crore last week during the IPL 2023 mini auction. Due to his significant domestic cricket experience as the captain of Karnataka and his several title wins, he may be a surprise choice to captain DC in the IPL 2023. He could be given the duty if necessary since he is the only player of the Delhi Capitals team to have participated in all 15 IPL seasons.
Mitchell Marsh
Marsh, like Prithvi Shaw, has never led an IPL team, but he might make his debut as captain in the IPL 2023. The 31-year-old all-rounder has led the Australia U-19 side to a title victory in the 2010 edition, as well as teams in Australian domestic cricket.
Yash Dhull
Yash Dhull captained the India U-19 team to a World Cup victory earlier this year. Since Rishabh Pant is likely to miss IPL 2023 , Yash Dhull may be assigned to lead the franchise Delhi Capitals, though this is not a very realistic choice given that he sat on the bench in IPL 2022.
Yash Dhull, India's U-19 World Cup-winning skipper, has signed his maiden IPL contract with the Delhi Capitals, who paid INR 50 lakh for him in the IPL 2022 mega auction. Yash Dhull made an impression with the bat in the 2022 U-19 World Cup, demonstrating his immense potential. He struck a match-winning hundred in the tournament semifinals and also led from the front.
READ| VVS Laxman lauds bus driver, conductor who saved Rishabh Pant after accident
