Exclusive | IPL 2022: Rishabh Pant needs to maintain his aggressive edge for DC, says Ricky Ponting

The Delhi Capitals will be coming to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season with a new-look squad after letting go of a number of big names ahead of this year’s mega auction. However, the only constant in the team will be skipper Rishabh Pant who has enjoyed a rich vein of form in the white-ball series against Sri Lanka and he will once again be the man to watch out for DC.

Ahead of the new season, DC head coach Ricky Ponting spoke to WION's Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo and the ex-Australia skipper spoke about what the team expects from Pant.

“He (Pant) is a brilliant person and a brilliant player and how he approaches the game is similar to his personality. He is a fun-loving guy and that shows in his game. With players like that, you have to take the good with the bad and I do not want him to lose his exuberance which wins matches.

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“There have been a lot of comparisons between Rishabh and Adam Gilchrist already and the reason is because their batting is very similar. They are not always going to play conventionally but when it works, they will be winning you matches. I want Rishabh to take the games head on and that is the approach that helps in winning the games for us,” Ponting said during the interview.

Ponting has been a part of the Delhi Capitals franchise for quite some time as the head coach but he is currently not looking out for national team jobs. When asked about the vacancies in both Australia and England sides, Ponting said that the timing is not right for him to apply for the positions.

I don’t think that I will ever apply for the England job. I have said it on record that when you are a head coach of a national team, it is a 10–11-month job. But I am trying a good balance in family life and professional life. I spend three months with Delhi Capitals, do a bit of TV with channel 7 back home and spend some time planning the season. I believe that you need to have the right situation if you want to become an international coach and it is very difficult with a young family

The cricketing world lost a huge star as legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne died on March 4 due to a suspected heart attack. Ponting played with Warne for a major part of his career and he shared a close bond with the leg spinner whom he also captained during their time in the Australia team.

“Warne was one of the, if not the greatest, cricketers and he revolutionised the art of leg spin bowling. Once he came around, every youngster in Australia wanted to bowl leg spin again. It was not just the way he played the game but also the charisma that he brought to it. Everyone who saw him play felt like they knew a part of him. It has been a difficult time for his family, his friends and me and also a lot of guys who played for a long time with him. I had to make a tough decision to not stay back in Australia as the people close to him got together on the weekend,” Ponting said.

Watch | Former Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting pays tribute to Shane Warne