Former Indian cricket team opener Aakash Chopra has expressed his belief that Rishabh Pant could potentially replace Rohit Sharma as the Test captain in the future. Chopra described Pant as a “24-carat gold” Test cricketer and emphasized that a player of his caliber could be the perfect long-term replacement for Rohit. While discussing alternative options, Chopra also mentioned Shubman Gill, who will be leading the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season after Hardik Pandya’s departure. Although Gill’s captaincy skills are relatively unknown, Chopra believes he could be a potential candidate.
Chopra shared his thoughts in a video on his YouTube channel, stating, “I am talking about extremely long-term, it could be Shubman Gill. I am not talking about now, I am talking about the distant future. It could be Rishabh Pant. Rishabh Pant as a Test cricketer is 24-carat gold. So he could also be the one. He is a game-changer. So I will look towards one of these two once Rohit says he is done with Test cricket and that you can appoint someone else as the skipper.”
Meanwhile, Pant is expected to make his much-anticipated return from injury and will also be leading the Delhi Capitals franchise in the upcoming IPL season. Delhi Capitals director of cricket, Sourav Ganguly, confirmed Pant’s participation, stating, “He’s (Pant) good now. He will play in the IPL next season.” Ganguly also mentioned that Pant is currently on a three-day visit to strategize on team-building ahead of the IPL auctions in Dubai on December 19.
It is worth noting that Pant had a frightening accident in December last year when his car hit a divider and caught fire. After recovering from multiple injuries, Pant returned to training with the Delhi Capitals at the Jadavpur University Salt Lake Campus ground. Ganguly expressed confidence in Pant’s progress, stating, “By January (2024), he’ll get even better.”
In Pant’s absence last season, Australia opener David Warner led the Delhi Capitals, resulting in a second-from-bottom finish. However, with Pant’s return and potential captaincy abilities, the team is looking forward to a stronger performance in the upcoming IPL season.
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