IPL 2020: 3 Players who can effectively replace Rishabh Pant in DC

Delhi Capitals (DC) are shining in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with victories on a consistent basis. However, the team is facing some injury concerns after its two players Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra were ruled out of the tournament. Now, their hard-hitting batsman Rishabh Pant is likely to be on rest for a minimum of seven to 10 days as he has suffered a Grade one hamstring strain during the match against Rajasthan Royals (RR).

The exclusion of Pant from the playing XI has massively hampered DC’s team balance. With no back-up of the Indian keeper, the Capitals were forced to field Alex Carey and drop their another power-hitter Shimron Hetmyer as only four foreigners are allowed in the team. The franchise dearly missed the services of two of their star batsmen in the match against Mumbai Indians.

Though Pant is expected to recover from the injury within the coming week, the team management will have to keep their back-up ready in case Rishabh gets ruled out of the remainder of the season.

Here’s the list of three players who can effectively replace Rishabh Pant:

1. Naman Ojha

The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha can be the potential replacement for the young Rishabh Pant as Ojha is backed by enough experience and phenomenal domestic records. The 33-year-old made his International debut in 2010 but could never flourish in his career as he was overshadowed first by MS Dhoni and later by Wriddhiman Saha.

The Ujjain-born has been excellent in the domestic circuit both with the gloves and bat. In 143 List A matches and 183 T20 games, he has amassed 4,278 and 2,973 runs respectively at an average of 32.7 and 20.9. Ojha began his IPL journey in 2009 with Rajasthan Royals before joining the Delhi Daredevils.

He also played a clinical role in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s win in 2016. In his IPL career of 10 years, Naman has featured in 113 fixtures aggregating 1,554 runs at a strike rate of 118.3. He has also affected 65 catches, 5 run-outs, and 10 stumpings.

2. Kedar Devdhar

The Vadodara-born wicketkeeper-batsman Kedar Devdhar is a prominent name in the Indian domestic cricket. His first-class debut came against Maharashtra in 2009 where his unbeaten 53 helped Baroda chase a target of 101 runs.

In 67 First-class games, Devdhar aggregates 4009 runs at an average of 39.3 and a strike rate of 56. He has also featured in 69 List A and 68 T20 games amassing 2,241 and 1,866 runs respectively at a strike rate of 77. 5 and 122.8.

The 30-year-old was picked by Deccan Chargers for the 2011 edition of the IPL but was not a part of the team’s playing XI even once. Devdhar could be the specialist wicket-keeper for DC and his inclusion might help the team retain the earlier balance.

3. Vishnu Vinod

Hailed as an aggressive batsman and a decent wicketkeeper, Vishnu Vinod made his first-class debut for Kerala in 2016 where he scored 58 against Haryana. In 20 first-class games, he has scored 717 runs followed by 26 List A and 31 T20 games scoring 1,059 and 855 runs respectively at an average of 42.4 and 29.5.

His ability to get accustomed to any batting position can be a plus point for the Delhi Capitals. Owing to his hard-hitting abilities, the 26-year-old was picked by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the 2016 edition.

However, Vishnu failed to impress with a series of single-digit scores and was released by the franchise the following year. However, if another opportunity comes, he will be glad to grab it with both hands and replace Rishabh Pant.