Captaincy not a burden for Rishabh Pant as Delhi kickstart campaign against Chennai

Delhi Capitals' newly-appointed captain Rishabh Pant, and, head coach Ricky Ponting shared their thoughts ahead of the season-opener against three-time winners Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.

Pant has been appointed as Delhi's stand-in-captain for this season as regular skipper Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out due to a shoulder injury. Meanwhile, the youngster has exuded confidence in himself by saying that he is looking forward to leading the side.

'I haven't thought about that too much': Rishabh Pant

"I haven't thought about that too much that this is my first match, I have to do this, that. I think I will keep it simple. I will just try to give it my 100% whatever I know because during wicket-keeping also you get an idea of how to set the field and all. Yes, this time, once you are given the captaincy, you can do it directly. I think there won't be much difference", said Rishabh Pant while speaking on the official website of Delhi Capitals.

When asked about DC's first game against CSK, Ponting talked about how the team has prepared for their opponents who have been one of the most successful teams in the IPL.

"They have been one of the successful teams in IPL history and they have obviously got a great leader, a great squad of players. They have always managed to play some really consistent cricket. Last year, they were probably disappointed with the way their season went down and I think that had a lot to do with the fact that Raina wasn't there for the entire tournament. He comes back to the squad this year which is almost like a new recruit, a new player, or a new signing for them", said Ponting.

"We have been looking at this squad and analysing this squad over the last week and they have got a good squad of players together. They have got a lot of flexibility. They have got a lot of options", the three-time World Cup winner added.

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Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021

In Iyer's absence, the onus will be on Pant to lead the Delhi-based franchise from the front. DC had reached the final of the tournament last year but failed to make a mark against Mumbai Indians, which proved to be a better team on the day. Riding on their captain’s form and some key players, this year Delhi Capitals would be looking to cross that one final step and take the trophy home for the first time.

(Image Courtesy: PTI/Twitter Ricky Ponting)