Star Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant suffered an unfortunate accident on Friday morning (December 30) in Roorkee. The 25-year-old cricketer’s car hit the divider around 5:30 am, after which it caught fire. Pant broke the windscreen to escape, but suffered multiple injuries. He is currently undergoing treatment at the Max Hospital in Dehradun. After the news of his accident broke, it spread like wildfire. Several images and videos of the crash have gone viral on social media platforms.
The BCCI released a statement on Friday afternoon in which it provided the official update about the injuries to Pant. The left-handed wicketkeeper-batter has two cuts on his forehead, a ligament tear in his right knee, and injuries to his right wrist, ankle, and toe, as well as abrasions on his back.
These injuries will take time to heal, and as per a report in The Times of India, the cricketer will require at least three to six months to recover and hence will not be able to take part in the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League.
Pant is the captain of the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. He was handed the responsibility ahead of the start of the 2021 season. If he fails to get fit, the chances of which are very thin, DC will have to find a new captain as well as a wicketkeeper-batter. They have some players who can do the job if required.
Here’s a look at four possible captaincy candidates for the Delhi Capitals in Pant’s absence:
David Warner: Australian opening batter David Warner will be the leading candidate to replace Pant as captain of the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023. He has the experience of having captained a franchise in the IPL before. He was the leader of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2016 IPL, when they won the title. Even though he is banned from the captaincy role by Cricket Australia, it won’t apply to the IPL, and he can step up once again.
Prithvi Shaw: Former India U-19 World Cup-winning captain Prithvi Shaw is another player who can be considered for the role. The 23-year-old has never led the side in the IPL before but has captained the Mumbai team in domestic cricket. He led them to victory in the 2020–21 Vijay Hazare Trophy as well as a runner-up finish in the 2021–22 Ranji Trophy.
Mitchell Marsh: Like Prithvi Shaw, Marsh has not captained any team in the IPL before, but he can make his captaincy debut in the IPL 2023. The 31-year-old all-rounder has the experience of leading the Australia U-19 team to a title triumph in the 2010 edition and has led teams in Australian domestic cricket.
Manish Pandey: The Delhi Capitals signed Manish Pandey for Rs 2.4 crore in the IPL 2023 mini auction last week. He could be a surprise candidate to lead DC in the IPL 2023, owing to his extensive experience leading Karnataka in domestic cricket and winning multiple titles. He is the only player on the Delhi Capitals roster who has appeared in all 15 editions of the IPL, and he could be given the responsibility if necessary.
