Mumbai: Rishabh Pant could become an international captain in future, Delhi Capitals Head Coach Ricky Ponting said replying to a query on captaincy similarities of Pant and Rohit Sharma.
"Rishabh and Rohit are quite similar people. I know they are great mates and they are probably exchanging notes about leadership and captaincy. There's every possibility for Rishabh's journey to be quite similar to Rohit's. I have got no doubt that Rishabh could be an international captain in years to come," he said in a virtual press conference on the eve of the match against Mumbai Indians on Sunday.
Talking about inclusion of India U-19 World Cup-winning captain Yash Dhull in the team, Ponting said he has been a product of Delhi Capitals Academy and he is looking forward to give opportunities to other young players.
"Yash has been through the Delhi Capitals Academy. This is a great example of what the DC Academy has been able to produce. Yash is someone who's good enough to captain India in a successful U-19 World Cup campaign. He's been a great inclusion into our squad. I also look forward to seeing a lot of the other younger guys get an opportunity through the next couple of months," he said.
Replying to a query, Ponting said his team will get off to a good start even though they are missing some overseas players for the first couple of matches.
"We have been working exceptionally hard on making sure that the guys that are here are ready for their first challenge. I believe we have good depth in our squad. Yes, we are missing some overseas players for the first couple of games, but that's no worry for us. I fully expect that we can get off to a good start on Sunday," he said.
On David Warner and Rovman Powell's inclusion in the team, Delhi Capital's Captain Pant said they can be the X-factor players in this IPL. "I am very happy to have the biggest IPL auctions buy (Warner) in our side. It is going to be great to have Rovman Powell also in our team. Hopefully, he lives up to our expectations and helps Delhi Capitals this year," he said.
Replying to a query, Pant said the same process is being followed though the team have new players on board this season due to IPL auction. "I am not focussing on my personal goals, but on team's needs, and that's what is most important for us," he said. (UNI)