Advertisement

Updated March 11th, 2021 at 23:16 IST

Delhi Capitals team 2021 prodigy Ripal Patel has special request for coach Ricky Ponting

Ripal Patel, who is a part of the Delhi Capitals team 2021, recently revealed that he does not just want to warm benches for the franchise during the season.

Reported by: Aditya Desai
Delhi Capitals team 2021
| Image:self
Advertisement

The Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi Capitals side had a fabulous season last year, where they managed to break their jinx and made it to their maiden final of the Indian Premier League. The franchise has roped in several notable names ahead of the upcoming edition in an attempt to strengthen their team as they look to clinch their first-ever championship. Gujarat's Ripal Patel is a part of the Delhi Capitals team 2021 and wants to make an impact right away.  

Ripal Patel reveals his admiration for Steve Smith ahead of IPL 2021 

25-year-old Ripal Patel came in the limelight for his exceptional performances for the Gujarat team in domestic. He was ultimately rewarded with his maiden IPL contract as he was picked up by the Delhi Capitals for INR 20 lakh. In an exclusive interview with InsideSport, the talented youngster mentioned how he is looking forward to interacting with star Australian batsman Steve Smith during the cash-rich league. 

Patel opined that the former Australian captain is the best innovative batsman in the world and also suggested that such an approach is essential while playing the shortest format. He also expressed his desire of learning a few tricks from the man himself, as they two are going to share the same dressing room during the competition. 

He also commended Delhi Capitals for providing significant opportunities to youngsters. He is hopeful that Ricky Ponting and co. will reward him with a spot in the playing eleven at some juncture, and he wishes to emerge as a match-winner for the side. He reckoned that there is no point of just warming benches, and he wants to perform in whatever capacity the team management wants him to. 

Apart from Smith, he also is keen to catch up with his Gujarat teammate Axar Patel. Ripal, who will rub shoulders with a number of stalwarts during his stint with the Delhi Capitals, wants to make the most of this opportunity. He added that he wishes to improve his game through his experience as he looks to come into the reckoning of national selectors.

Steve Smith IPL 2021 bid 

The Steve Smith IPL 2021 base price was ₹2 crore and the right-hander was bought by Delhi at a modest price of ₹2.2 crore. The decision to buy Smith came as a surprise as Delhi already have the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Marcus Stoinis and Shimron Hetmyer within their ranks.

Delhi Capitals team 2021 

Delhi Capitals players: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Lalit Yadav, Avesh Khan, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Woakes, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Tom Curran, Sam Billings, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman Meriwala, and M Siddharth.

IPL 2021 schedule

The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to kick off on April 9 from Chennai as BCCI unveiled the schedule for the marquee event on Sunday. The IPL Governing Council informed that IPL 2021 would begin at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, with defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). IPL 2021 schedule - 

Image source: Ripal Patel Instagram 

 

 

 

Advertisement

Published March 11th, 2021 at 17:24 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo