Shreyas Iyer’s absence for the first phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 left a big gaping hole in Delhi Capitals (DC) as the team just didn’t miss out on their premier batsman, but also their full-time captain. With an eye on the future, the DC management handed the charge to Rishabh Pant, who guided the team to the numero uno position before the season was suspended.
Rishabh is set to be rewarded for his impressive run as DC captain as he will reportedly continue as the captain for the UAE leg of the season. The youngster will continue to lead the side in Iyer’s absence. The season is set to resume on September 19 and the management is expected to confirm the news soon.
Rishabh, who has captained India A in past, led the side to 6 wins from 8 matches. One of their wins came against Mumbai Indians, who had defeated them 4 times, including the final, in IPL 2020.
Talking of Iyer, the 26-year-old had taken over the team’s charge during IPL 2018. Under him, DC ended their below-par run in the league and qualified for the playoffs of IPL 2019. They hadn’t cleared the league stage since 2012. In IPL 2020, DC played the final of IPL for the first time.
Iyer had to miss the first half of IPL 2021 due to a shoulder injury that he suffered in an ODI against England in March earlier this year. In total, Iyer has 21 wins from 41 matches as DC’s captain. Both Iyer and Rishabh had started their IPL careers with DC and haven’t played for any other franchise.
