Will Rishabh Pant lead Delhi Capitals to their maiden IPL title? Kapil Dev gives fascinating answer

Rishabh Pant continues to be one of the biggest talking points in the lead-up to IPL 2021. The chatter around Pant went up by several notches when the swashbuckling left-hander was named as the Delhi Capitals captain for this season in place of Shreyas Iyer, who was ruled out with a shoulder injury. India’s first-ever World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev has now shared his thoughts on what he expects from Pant the captain in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League, starting from April 9.

Kapil was asked whether Pant can lead Delhi Capitals to their maiden IPL title in his first stint as captain in the cash-rich league. The former India all-rounder agreed the chances are slim but gave a fascinating explanation behind his thoughts about Pant’s captaincy.

“Yes, there maybe 25-26% chances (of Pant winning the IPL for DC), I don't think anything more than that because then you're saying he's better than the other teams (captains). He's a new captain, he needs a lot of experience. But it's a bit difficult to go all the way (in his first attempt as captain),” Kapil told ABP News.

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Pant, who has played only for Delhi Capitals in the IPL ever since he was bought by the franchise in 2016, has been in fantastic form for India in all three formats after regaining his place in the side in the second Test in Australia.

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Pant has led Delhi in Ranji Trophy before but Kapil believes this will be a different situation altogether.

“He has become the captain, what can be more secure than that. But with captaincy comes responsibility, as well. It will not be easy for Pant. I wanted him to continue his fearless game but if management thinks that he can do better as a captain in near future then why not. We'll have to wait for the result of this responsibility in this season.

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“We should focus on how he handles the team. It's not an easy task with so many senior players. A small section of people can blame him if DC don't perform. As the time passes, I hope he comes out with flying colours,” Kapil added.

That DC picked Pant ahead of proven IPL captains Steve Smith, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin and Shikhar Dhawan, speaks volumes about their faith in the wicketkeeper-batsman but Kapil believes the young left-hander will need all the support from the seniors to perform well as a leader.

“If senior players support him then it won't be that difficult for him. I had a similar experience of becoming a Captain at such a young age.

“Ricky Ponting can control the game only in the dressing room. Once the team is out on the ground, it's the captain's thought process that matters more. And experienced players like Rahane and Dhawan Will have to support the young captain. Sometimes the support is missing and we have to wait for the first few matches to get there,” Kapil said.

Pant, who has scored 2079 runs for DC in 68 matches at an impressive average of 35.23 and a superb strike rate of 151.97 will look to carry his international form in the T20 league.

Kapil said the left-hander’s performance will be the most crucial aspect this year.

“The most important factor will be his own performance. If he performs well then he'll gradually get everyone's support but if his performance is not up to the mark the everyone will say it was because of captaincy pressure. He is going into the tournament after playing some very good cricket,” he said.

Further explaining his thoughts about Pant’s captaincy, Kapil said it will be a learning curve for the left-hander.

“I can't say now whether Rishabh Pant is a good captain material or not, it's very difficult. It can be decided only once he gets his hands on it. And at this stage, it's very difficult because the pressure is at another level. If he performs well, it will be a great thing for the team,” he said.

Delhi Capitals will begin their IPL 2021 journey against Chennai Super Kings on April 10.