Walking out for the toss with MS Dhoni will be extra special: Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant will be leading the Delhi Capitals team for the first time when he takes the field on April 10. The runners-up of the 2020 season will be opening their campaign against the three-time champions, Chennai Super Kings. Pant has revealed that it will be a special experience for him to walk out for the toss alongside MS Dhoni.

Shreyas Iyer, the captain of the Delhi Capitals franchise got injured during the recent ODI series against England. His shoulder needed surgery, hence the Mumbai batsman was ruled out of IPL 2021. The franchise decided to back the young wicketkeeper to lead them in the latest edition of the cash-rich league.

Talking about his debut IPL game as a captain, Pant said that it will be extra special for him when he takes the field in front of MS Dhoni. Pant has looked as Dhoni’s successor when it comes to the national team. He said that he hopes he can win the match against him using all the experience which he has gained from Dhoni.

I have learned a lot from MS Dhoni: Rishabh Pant

“It will be extra special to walk out for the toss with MS Dhoni tomorrow. This will be the first time that I will be leading an IPL team and the first match is against Mahi Bhai. I have learned a lot from him, and I have gained a lot of experience from him. Hopefully, I can use this experience against him, and we can win this match. That’s what I am looking forward to,” Pant said as quoted by Times Now.

The Delhi Capitals have several senior players who can help Pant to develop and become a better captain. Ravichandran Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Steve Smith who are part of the squad, have all led a franchise before. Pant said that with the help of head coach Ricky Ponting, the Capitals could go the long way.

“I have been talking to the senior players like Shikhar Dhawan, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ajinkya Rahane about the fields we can set and other strategic decisions for the team. I have been talking to Ricky and our bowling coach James Hopes as well. There’s a good mix of seniors and juniors in our squad and I think with the help of Ricky, we can do something different this year,” the skipper said.