Reports: Pant to be retained as Delhi Capitals’ skipper for IPL 2021 UAE leg

Rishabh Pant

The Delhi Capitals look set to retain Rishabh Pant as their captain for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season. The regular skipper Shreyas Iyer who was ruled out of the tournament earlier this year due to the shoulder injury is back with full fitness and has joined the team. He was the leader of the pack for last two and a half seasons but Pant was appointed at the helm just before IPL 2021 due to Iyer’s injury.

The Capitals have done well under the southpaw’s leadership having won six out of eight matches. They are at the top of the points table and are looking to good to make it to the playoffs yet again.

According to the reports in Cricbuzz, the two promoters of Delhi Capitals – Kiran Kumar Granthi and Parth Jindal – are clear on the captaincy front and they want Rishabh Pant to lead the side. The management is in no mood to take a chance with Shreyas Iyer who hasn’t played any kind of competitive cricket since March 23, 2021 when he injured his shoulder during an ODI against England.

Meanwhile, an official announcement regarding Rishabh Pant being retained as the captain of the side for the rest of the season is expected to come from the franchise soon.

Fully fit Iyer joins the team

Shreyas Iyer is set to take the field after a gap of six months now and is raring to shine on the field. He joined the Delhi Capitals team in the bubble on September 2 (Thursday) and is delighted to be back with the team again. He also revealed that he played a couple of games against the UAE and is eager to contribute to the team in the second leg of the IPL.

I am feeling on top of the world, to be honest. This was the thing I was eagerly waiting for. It’s never a bad feeling to be among the team. I came six days prior to the start of the practice sessions for the team, and I had two good games against the UAE team, so I just want to continue with the same momentum,” Iyer said.