Rishabh Pant likely to be present at the auction table with the Delhi Capitals in Dubai - Reports

Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Rishabh Pant is inching towards a return to competitive cricket after being in a horrific car crash in late 2022. The wicketkeeper-batter will have a huge role to play for his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, who finished ninth in the table without his presence last season.

DC are looking for a serious rebuild after releasing 11 players, and have some serious work to do at the upcoming IPL 2024 mini-auction, scheduled for December 19 in Dubai.

While the majority of the franchise captains will be unavailable to mark their physical presence at the auction due to international duty, such is not the case with Pant.

According to a report by SportsTak, the DC skipper will be present at the auction table alongside the likes of head coach Ricky Ponting and director of cricket Sourav Ganguly among other prominent figures of the franchise.

DC currently have a purse of ₹28.95 crore to conduct their rebuild. They have finished outside the playoff places for two consecutive seasons, and are desperate for a massive turnaround.

Rishabh Pant expected to be fully fit in time for IPL 2024

A recent report from Cricbuzz stated that Rishabh Pant will be available to lead the Delhi Capitals in the 2024 IPL. His involvement as a fully-fledged wicketkeeper-batter or just an impact player will only be decided in the coming months and will require approval from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

"If he is not keeping, he will definitely be on the field and will lead the side," a franchise official stated.

With the likes of Phil Salt and Sarfaraz Khan released, DC only have Abhishek Porel as a wicketkeeping choice in the squad part from Pant. Porel had kept wickets for the franchise in the 2023 season but only scored 33 runs in four innings. As a result, DC will likely pursue another wicketkeeper in the upcoming mini-auction.

The IPL 2024 might turn out to be Pant's realistic venture to make a return as he is unlikely to be fit in time for the home Test series against England in January-February 2024.

Will the flamboyant player mark his presence at the IPL 2024 mini-auction? Let us know what you think.