TIL Desk Sports/ Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting has backed Rishabh Pant to continue leading the side, saying the wicketkeeper batter is still young and learning the ropes of captaincy and remains the right choice for the job.
Pant’s captaincy has been under the scanner all season with the youngster making some dubious calls during IPL-15. On Saturday, in DC’s must-win game against Mumbai Indians, a strategic blunder cost the team a spot in the play-offs.
With MI at 95 for three in 14.3 overs while chasing a target of 160, Pant made a strategic blunder as he refused to call for DRS after Tim David nicked the first ball of his innings and the on-field umpire didn’t give him out. It came back to haunt DC as David slammed 34 runs off just 11 balls with the help of two boundaries and four sixes to take the game out of DC’s grasp.
“Absolutely, no doubt in my mind that Rishabh even in the last season he was the right choice for captain. Rishabh did a terrific job with the team after he took over from Shreyas (Iyer) after he injured his shoulders,” Ponting said during the press conference after DC lost by five wickets against MI.