The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially confirmed Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant's participation in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Following a challenging recovery journey from a serious car accident on December 30, 2022, Pant has been declared fit to join the T20 tournament as a wicketkeeper and batsman.
In an interview with Times of India (TOI), Pant shared his elation at receiving clearance from the BCCI, marking what he termed as his 'dream comeback'. Expressing his joy, Pant emphasized his eagerness to return to the cricketing field after a prolonged hiatus. "Amazing feeling. This was the thing we were waiting for. It's been so long. I think you can still cope with a layoff of three to six months. But when it goes beyond that, it starts taking a toll. I just want to go out there and play and have fun. Not thinking about the future too much, because (then) you put too much pressure on yourself. Looking forward to each day as it comes,” Pant told TOI.
Reflecting on his rehabilitation journey, Pant revealed the dedication he put into his physical conditioning. "It wasn't just a physical battle for me," he explained. "For the first few months, I was enjoying myself when it came to food because that was the only thing that kept me sane." However, he later shifted his focus to intense workouts and nutrition, dedicating approximately three months to rigorous training. "I know I am strongly built to endure that. I just had to get rid of a little bit of extra weight, and nutrition played a key role in that," Pant added.
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Following his final appearance for India against Bangladesh in December 2022, the 26-year-old faced an extended break from cricket due to a serious car accident. This unfortunate event led to his absence from major tournaments including the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, IPL 2023, ICC World Test Championship Final, Asia Cup 2023, and the 2023 ODI World Cup. Nonetheless, the 26-year-old is now poised to captain the Delhi Capitals in the upcoming season, succeeding David Warner as the team's leader.
The IPL 2024 season will commence on March 22 with a match between CSK and RCB. Delhi Capitals will start their IPL 2024 journey against Punjab Kings on March 23 in Mohali. The Delhi Capitals versus Punjab Kings IPL 2024 fixture is scheduled to commence at 3:30 PM IST.
Here's a look at the schedule for DC's first four matches in IPL 2024:
Date | Match | Time (IST) | Venue |
23 Mar | DC vs PBKS | 3:30 | Mohali |
28 Mar | DC vs RR | 730 | Jaipur |
31 Mar | DC vs CSK | 7:30 | Visakhapatnam |
03 Apr | DC vs KKR | 7:30 | Visakhapatnam |
07 Apr | DC vs MI | 3:30 | Mumbai |
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