Mar 16 In the absence of Rishabh Pant, who is presently recovering from a vehicle accident, veteran Australian batter David Warner was elected captain of the Delhi Capitals for the next Indian Premier League (IPL) season on Thursday. Axar Patel, an all-rounder for India, will be the Delhi team’s vice-captain, a job he also held last year. The IPL 2023 season begins on March 31. DC has named former India captain and former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly as Director of Cricket. Ganguly had previously worked as a mentor with the Delhi Capitals during the 2019 season.
“Rishabh has been a terrific leader for Delhi Capitals, and we’re all going to miss having him around. I would like to thank the management for the faith and trust they’ve always shown in me,” Warner said in a release.
“This franchise has always been home for me, and I couldn’t be more excited to lead such a supremely talented bunch of players. I can’t wait to meet them all, and get cracking!” The naming of Warner as DC captain was on expected lines after Pant — who led the team from 2021 season — met with a horrific car accident in late December and successfully underwent a knee ligament tear surgery in Mumbai.
Warner is currently in India for Australia’s ODI tour, which begins on Friday in Mumbai. He is one of the IPL’s most prolific batsmen, having scored 5881 runs in 162 matches over the course of 13 seasons since 2009. He has a 42.01 average, a 140.69 strike rate, and four hundreds and 55 fifties.
Warner joined the Delhi franchise in 2009, when it was known as the Delhi Daredevils, and stayed with them until 2013. He served as the team’s temporary captain for a few games in 2013, before being acquired by Sunrisers Hyderabad the following year.
As captain, Warner led the Sunrisers to the IPL victory in 2016. In terms of matches won, he is the joint-fifth most successful captain. Warner’s teams won 35 of the 69 matches he coached, lost 32, and drew two.
Warner rejoined the Delhi franchise in 2022 following a quarrel with the Sunrisers management following a dismal run of play in the 2021 IPL. In the previous IPL, he led DC with 432 runs at an average of 48 and a solid strike rate of 150.52, including five half-centuries.
The 36-year-old powerful opener struggled in the two Border-Gavaskar Trophy Tests he played against India, making 26 runs from three innings before being substituted out of the second match in Delhi due to concussion.
He then went home to rest after suffering a hairline fracture in his elbow.
Meanwhile, Ganguly expressed his delight at rejoining the Delhi Capitals.
“My association with the women’s team, and the Pretoria Capitals over the last few months has been fantastic, and I’m looking forward to the upcoming season of the IPL,” he said.
“Delhi Capitals had done well as a team during my last stint with them. I’ve already been involved with the players this time around, and I’m keen to see them as a group. Hopefully, we will all have a great time over the next couple of months.” Delhi Capitals will take on Lucknow Super Giants in their season opener in an away game on April 1.
Also Read: WPL 2023: How Royal Challengers Bangalore Can Qualify For The Playoff (cricfiles.com)
