Rishabh Pant will begin IPL 2024 as Delhi Capitals' captain however is not going to hold wicket within the first half of the season, franchise co-owner Parth Jindal has mentioned. In a chat with ESPNcricinfo, Jindal additionally mentioned Capitals have been anticipating South Africa quick bowler Anrich Nortje to be match to play from their opening sport, towards Punjab Kings on March 23.

Jindal mentioned the Capitals think-tank, led by the staff director Sourav Ganguly and head coach Ricky Ponting, was assured about Pant beginning the IPL, topic to health clearance from the BCCI which is imminent.

"Rishabh is batting. He's running. He has started his wicketkeeping. He is likely to be fully fit for the IPL," Jindal mentioned on Thursday. "I am expecting Rishabh to play IPL and he will lead from match one. First seven games we are going to play him only as a batter and depending on how his body reacts, we will take a call for the rest of the IPL."

Anrich Nortje 'good to go for first sport'

While he performed the inaugural season of Major League Cricket within the USA, he pulled out of the ODI sequence at house towards Australia in September following a suspected stress fracture within the again and was finally dominated out of the ODI World Cup as effectively. Doubts about his availability for IPL persevered after he didn't play the SA20 both.

Anrich Nortje performed ten video games in IPL 2023•Associated Press

"He's fit," Jindal mentioned. "Right now, he is bowing at 80% intensity. Next week, he will bowl at 100%. He's going to make his comeback in the IPL. He is going to join our camp and should be good to go for our first game."

"He's touch and go but will definitely be available for some part of IPL," Jindal mentioned.

Harry Brook set for No. 6 position

Jindal was assured Capitals would make the playoffs primarily as a result of Pant's return offered the best steadiness to the staff. He additionally mentioned Tristan Stubbs and Mitchell Marsh made the staff a well-rounded unit.

"We feel very confident, the balance of the team is a lot better with Rishabh coming back in," he mentioned. "We have a very good squad and a lot of options with players like Tristan Stubbs, who had a phenomenal SA20 [with champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape], and Mitch Marsh becoming captain of Australia's T20I team."

Another key motive behind Jindal's optimism for this season is the recruitment of a contemporary batch of uncapped Indian gamers who, he mentioned, have been scouted and beneficial by Ganguly. Among the uncapped Indians purchased by Capitals on the public sale are Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra, Haryana allrounder Sumit Kumar and Madhya Pradesh batter Ricky Bhui (who's at present the main run-scorer in Ranji Trophy).

"We know our younger Indian players [better], we know which players to back in what positions a lot better than we did in the last season," Jindal mentioned. "A lot of credit goes to the systems and processes put in place by Dada [Ganguly]."