3 reasons why Rishabh Pant's absence is a big blow for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023

Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Rishabh Pant, who was in a horrific car accident in December 2022, will miss the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Pant met with a road accident on December 30 while driving home to Roorkee and was subsequently admitted to a hospital in Dehradun. He suffered a ligament tear and abrasions on his back.

He was later airlifted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to Mumbai for further treatment. He is currently admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute and will be under the direct supervision of Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala.

According to various reports, the 25-year-old cricketer is likely to remain out of action for at least six months. Sourav Ganguly, who rejoined Delhi Capitals as their director of cricket a few weeks back, confirmed that Pant will miss IPL 2023.

“Rishabh Pant will not be available for the IPL,” Ganguly told reporters in Kolkata. “I am in connection with Delhi Capitals. It will be a great IPL (for the team), we will do well but Rishabh Pant’s injury will affect the Delhi Capitals.”

The Capitals will certainly miss Pant's services and his absence could be detrimental to them in the new season. His presence has been of great importance and has done exceedingly well ever since he took over the reins from Shreyas Iyer ahead of IPL 2021.

On that note, let's take a look at three reasons why Pant's absence is a massive blow for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023.

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#3 Absence of an able leader

Rishabh Pant has been very impressive as a leader ever since he took charge in place of Shreyas Iyer, who was ruled out due to an injury, ahead of IPL 2021. The keeper-batter immediately made an impact on the side, leading the team from the front.

He was retained as captain by the management even after Shreyas returned from injury and even led the side in the last edition of the cash-rich league.

The Delhi-born cricketer is known to back his players, which is evident in Kuldeep Yadav's comeback. Pant stood beside the underfire player, who regained his rhythm and even made a return to the national side.

The left-arm spinner credited Pant for his performances in IPL 2022 and even stated that the latter has traits of legendary skipper MS Dhoni.

“I feel Rishabh is showing a few glimpses of MS Dhoni’s characteristics behind the stumps,” Kuldeep told The DC Podcast. “He guides well and stays calm on the field. Wicketkeepers play a big role in the success of spinners. The credit for my performance in this IPL goes to Rishabh as well. We have a good understanding now.”

Pant has so far led the Delhi Capitals in 30 matches, winning 16 of those and losing on 13 occasions, while one ended in a tie.

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#2 Absence of a hard-hitting batter

Rishabh Pant is known as a hard-hitting batter who can single-handedly change the course of a game.

Although he has been struggling for form recently in white-ball cricket, Pant's presence makes a lot of difference and instills a sense of fear in opposition batters.

The DC skipper is even more dangerous because of his ability to bat in different phases of the game. Pant can open the innings against some of the best new-ball bowlers in the business, having opened regularly during his U19 days. The southpaw has also opened the innings in T20Is on five occasions.

While he can also don the role of a finisher and tear apart any bowling attack from the word go, Pant also has the ability to drop down gears and bail his team out of danger if needed.

He has been at the heart of Delhi's batting ever since joining the franchise in 2016. The left-handed batter has amassed 2838 runs, including a century and 15 half-centuries, in 98 matches at an average of 30.91 and a strike rate of over 150.

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#1 Rishabh Pant's presence behind the wicket

Having a wicketkeeper who understands his bowler's psychology is a very important aspect of the game. Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni has reaped a lot of benefits for the Men in Blue, guiding Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav from behind the wicket.

Rishabh Pant, who is still very early into his captaincy career, has also shown traits of Dhoni. The youngster is often seen giving advice to his bowlers from behind the wicket. Pant has also been spotted talking to struggling bowlers by putting an arm around their shoulders and calming them.

Although DC have a couple of able backups in their squad, inheriting a quality like what Dhoni and Pant have is very rare. The Capitals are likely to miss Pant's presence behind the stumps badly as he is capable of handling difficult situations.

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