Star India cricketer Rishabh Pant has made himself available for Delhi’s upcoming Ranji Trophy clash against Saurashtra, starting January 23. The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) conducted its selection committee meeting on Friday, January 17 and soon after that, it was revealed that Pant has rejected the idea of being named the captain. He endorsed youngster Ayush Badoni to continue as the captain of the team.
Pant will be playing his first Ranji match in almost seven years. As per reports, the keeper-batter rejected captaincy citing that he is not a regular in the team and an exception shouldn’t be made. Notably, the 27-year-old has led the national team previously and also Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. DDCA wanted to use his experience in the game against Saurashtra but Pant instead rejected it and added that he would assist Badoni whenever required.
“He was offered the captaincy but declined, suggesting that Badoni should continue as skipper. He believed it wouldn’t be right to step in as captain solely based on his experience as an international and an IPL franchise skipper. He felt that his entry as captain might disrupt the team’s balance. Instead, he expressed confidence in the current captain and coach (Sarandeep Singh), to carry forward their vision envisioned at the start of the season,” a source told Cricbuzz.
On the other hand, it is still unclear if Virat Kohli will feature in the upcoming round of the Ranji Trophy. After a century in the first Test against Australia in Perth, the senior batter had a horrid time in red-ball cricket and he along with other Test cricketers have been asked to feature in the Ranji Trophy to cement their spot in Test cricket.
Kohli however is reported to be dealing with a neck sprain. The details of the injury are not known but it is expected that the DDCA President Rohan Jaitley to speak to the cricketer before Delhi announce their squad for the Saurashtra game.