Reason why Rishabh Pant declines Delhi captaincy in Ranji Trophy

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh pantsThe team bag and luggage have already arrived at the Delhi team hotel in Rajkot, signaling their return to domestic cricket ahead of their Ranji Trophy clash against Saurashtra, which will start on January 23. However, the star player has declined to lead the Delhi team, with Ayush Badoni continues as captain.

Pant last played in the Ranji Trophy during the 2017/18 season, leading Delhi to the final against Vidarbha in Indore. Despite their efforts, including scores of 21 and 32 in the title clash, Delhi lost by nine wickets. In that season, Pant amassed 315 runs in seven matches at an average of 35.00, with a highest score of 99.

Delhi, currently fourth in their group with 14 points after one win, one loss and three draws, will be boosted by Pant’s presence as they look to improve their standings.

Why won’t Rishabh Pant lead the Delhi side?

According to a Cricbuzz report, Pant was offered the captaincy but opted to sit out, stressing the importance of maintaining the current team structure. “He felt it would not be right to step in as captain just based on his experience as an international and IPL franchise skipper. He expressed confidence in the current captain (Ayush Badoni) and coach (Sarandeep Singh) to carry forward the team’s vision.” a source close to the development was quoted in Cricbuzz.

Pant’s return to the Delhi team comes after a remarkable performance in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, where he scored 255 runs in five matches in nine innings at an average of 28.33 with a rate of of attack of 59.02. His contributions included a half-century and helped him finish as the sixth highest run-getter in the series.

ALSO READ: BCCI issues strict guidelines for Indian players, warns of disciplinary action for non-compliance

National stars meet national teams

Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal has been included in the Mumbai squad for the training sessions ahead of the second phase of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy. He was recently spotted during an open networking session at the Bandra Kurla Complex grounds. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma he skipped the recent training session, but was spotted jogging at the same complex. The development comes ahead of Mumbai’s match against Jammu and Kashmir on January 23.

Shubman Gill has also confirmed his availability for Punjab’s sixth round match against Karnataka, starting on January 23 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

ALSO READ: Top 5 players to watch out for in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024/25 final with Karun Nair