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3 Players who can step up for Delhi in Rishabh Pant's absence for Indian T20 League 2023

These players could step up in absence of Rishabh Pant for Delhi and handle the added responsibility in the upcoming Indian T20 League.

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Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant (Image source: Twitter)

Rishabh Pant’s car accident and his resulting unavailability due to his recovery process isn’t just a big loss for the national team but has also come as a huge downer for the Delhi franchise. Earlier it was announced that Pant would miss the upcoming Indian T20 League 2023, which must have shocked Delhi fans as much as his accident at the end of last year.

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Delhi were already in trouble having performed poorly at the mini-auction, now with Pant out they must be going into panic mode. Cricket however is a funny game and things could turn out totally different at the end of the Indian T20 League. For that, however, other Delhi players would have to step up and fill in for Rishabh Pant. Let’s look at three players who would have added responsibility in Rishabh Pant’s absence.

David Warner

David Warner David Warner (Image source: Twitter)

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As Delhi gear up for the 2023 Indian T20 League season, the question on everyone's mind is who will be appointed as the team's captain. Delhi have a few options to choose from, including David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, and Rovman Powell, all of whom have led teams in the past. Even the likes of Axar Patel have been discussed as potential choices.

Out of all the options, Warner should be the front-runner for the role. As an Indian T20 League-winning skipper with extensive experience, he has the ability to forge an excellent understanding with head coach Ricky Ponting. He is the perfect batter to lead the team from the top of the batting order.

Furthermore, with Warner being a left-hander, he could be required to bat through the innings and take on positive match-ups. Now that Pant is not available, Delhi's middle order is packed with right-hand batters. While it may not be reasonable to expect Warner to always be there for the middle overs, his leadership and experience will be invaluable for the team in the upcoming Indian T20 League 2023.

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Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz Khan Sarfaraz Khan (Image source: Twitter)

Sarfaraz Khan, a young Indian cricketer, has been in the news recently for being overlooked for the national side. Despite this, many believe that he will be called up to the national red-ball side in the near future, and do the same in T20 format as well.

Delhi are without their first-choice wicketkeeper in Pant and shoeing in Phil Salt without hampering the team combination would be a huge challenge. This is where Sarfaraz Khan, with his part-time wicket-keeping skills could eliminate many of Delhi’s problems.

Sarfaraz however is still untested at the highest of levels and the team would be a little hesitant to give him such a big responsibility. It would be interesting to see how the young player rises to the occasion.

Axar Patel

Axar Patel Axar Patel (Image source: Twitter)

Last year, Axar Patel had one of the most productive seasons with the bat in his Indian T20 League career. He amassed a total of 182 runs in 13 matches, with both his average of 45.5 and his strike rate of 151.67 being the highest they've ever been in a campaign. His batting has improved significantly in recent years and this has been reflected in his performance in international cricket as well. He has always been a skilled spin-hitter and his ability to play against pace is also seeing massive improvements.

As the Indian T20 League 2023 draws near, it could be the perfect opportunity for Axar Patel to take on a bigger role with the Delhi team. Axar could fill the void with his left-hand batting and could prove to be a valuable asset for Delhi in the upcoming season.

IPL 2023 Rishabh Pant Delhi Capitals