Delhi Capitals’ regular captain, Rishabh Pant, who is currently injured, is expected to watch the team’s first home game against Gujarat Titans from the Feroz Shah Kotla stands. There is also a possibility that he may sit in the dug-out if the franchise can secure permission from the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU). An IPL source, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that Pant has always been an integral part of the Delhi Capitals team and may be present for the season’s first home game. Pant met with a car accident last December, which has ruled him out of competitive cricket for some time. He has undergone surgery on his right knee and has just started walking and doing his rehabilitation.
In the opening game against Lucknow Super Giants, the Delhi Capitals team hung their skipper’s jersey number 17 on the roof of the dug-out as a gesture that he is “always with the team in spirit.” However, an IPL source told PTI that it has been made clear from the BCCI’s end that such a gesture seemed a “bit over the top” and was “uncalled for.” It is understood that it was head coach Ricky Ponting’s idea to display Pant’s jersey from the dug-out. The Delhi Capitals will honour Pant by inscribing his jersey number on all the players during one of the games when the team will wear a different colour. However, the jersey number will be inscribed in one corner and will not infringe on the players’ individual jersey numbers.
