In IPL 2023, Delhi Capitals set to replace injured Rishabh Pant with young Bengal wicket-keeper batsman Abhishek Porel. Pant was injured in a car accident last year and has been sidelined from competitive cricket.
The Delhi team made their Australian cricketer David Warner the captain. As a wicketkeeper, the franchise is considering an Indian option in his place. Mumbai’s star batsman Sarfaraz Khan can be seen keeping wickets in the initial few matches.
Delhi Capitals had invited Bengal’s Porel, Karnataka wicketkeeper Lavneet Sisodia and Saurashtra legend Sheldon Jackson for trials at their camp in Kolkata, but nothing materialised. According to PTI, the team in Delhi also gave a chance to aggressive left-handed batsman and wicketkeeper Barinder Vivek Singh. The biggest name among them is Jackson, but due to his age of 36, the franchise did not see him as a future option.
An IPL source told on PTI , “Delhi Capitals are likely to name Abhishek Porel as a replacement for Rishabh for the current season. He is only 21 years old and even after Rishabh returns, he can be groomed as the second option to the wicketkeeper under the guidance of Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly.”
Mumbai’s star batsman Sarfaraz Khan will be Delhi’s number one wicket-keeper batsman for at least the first few matches as Phil Salt is unlikely to be given the responsibility from the outset. The source said, “As of now it looks like Sarfraz will play as a wicketkeeper against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). If this experiment is successful, we will play the same role in future as well.
