By ANI
MUMBAI: A few members of the Delhi Capitals squad, who have assembled in Mumbai, attended their first practice session at the Cricket Club of India on Tuesday.
After being in quarantine for a week, the players with the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Amit Mishra got an opportunity to test their skills and find their groove ahead of the 2021 edition of the IPL.
“I batted for the first time in 20 days. We came out after being in quarantine for seven days, so I was just looking to get into the groove and get into a good rhythm. And as we get closer to the tournament, it will be all about maintaining that good rhythm and momentum,” Rahane said in an official statement released by the franchise.
Leg-spinner Mishra expressed that everyone looked terrific during the team’s first practice session. “All the boys are looking good here on the field. They are all ready to put in the hard yards and it’s nice to see the youngsters practicing hard as well,” he said.
The 38-year-old added that apart from honing his bowling prowess, he is focussing on improving his batting as well, “I am working on my batting. The coaches have also told me to keep practicing my batting as there might be situations in matches when I will have to string partnerships of 25-30 runs. We need to be ready for everything. Basically, if I am batting with a recognised batsman then I should focus on taking singles and giving the strike to my partner.”
On Tuesday, Delhi Capitals appointed Rishabh Pant as the captain of the side for the upcoming season of the IPL. The wicket-keeper batsman will step in as skipper for the 14th edition of the tournament, for the injured Shreyas Iyer, who had hurt his left shoulder during the recently concluded India-England ODI series.
Off late, Pant has been in remarkable form and he has given some match-winning performances in the series against Australia and England. Of all his performances, the ones in Brisbane (fourth Test against Australia) and Ahmedabad (fourth Test against England) stand out.
On his new role, Pant in a statement said, “Delhi is where I grew up, and where my IPL journey began six years ago. To lead this team one day is a dream I’ve always harboured. And today, as that dream comes true, I feel humbled. I am truly grateful, especially to our team owners, who considered me capable enough for this role. With an amazing coaching staff, and a plethora of accomplished seniors around me, I can’t wait to give my absolute best for Delhi Capitals.”
Delhi Capitals will begin their IPL 2021 campaign against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 10.
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