Rishabh Pant, the captain of Delhi Capitals (DC), returned to cricket after a long break due to a serious car accident in December 2022.
The accident in 2022 left Pant with multiple injuries, including to his knee, wrist, ankle, and back. He underwent extensive rehabilitation before returning to cricket.
During his absence, David Warner took over as captain of DC, but the team’s performance suffered, finishing ninth in the league.
Pant played his first game in the Indian Premier League (IPL) against Punjab Kings (PBKS) after 453 days.
Pant expressed his emotions before the match, stating it was a special moment for him and he just wanted to enjoy playing again.
In the match, Pant batted at number four but only scored 18 runs off 13 balls before getting out to Harshal Patel. He seemed in good form, hitting a couple of boundaries, but was caught out trying to play a ramp shot.
But he showed spark with sharp wicketkeeping. Any lingering doubts fans may have had about Pant’s keeping abilities were likely erased by his excellent stumping of PBKS’s Jitesh Sharma from Kuldeep Yadav’s delivery.
Despite Pant’s brief innings, fans were excited to see him back on the field after such a long time.
He has been a key player for DC since 2016, scoring over 2,800 runs in 98 matches. Additionally, Pant has represented India in Test, ODI, and T20I formats, with impressive statistics across all formats.
Although DC lost their opener to PBKS, Pant’s return to cricket was a significant moment, even though his batting stint was short. But he is looking fierce and his fans expect a scintillating performance in the upcoming matches.
