IPL 2024: Brian Lara excited about Rishabh Pant’s homecoming in Delhi, says it’s going to be emotional

West Indies veteran Brian Lara feels Rishabh Pant’s homecoming in IPL 2024 will be an emotional period for the Delhi Capitals’ Captain. Following playing two matches at their adopted home ground in Vizag earlier this season, Pant’s DC has returned to Delhi (at the Arun Jaitley Stadium) for their evening game against SunRisers Hyderabad on Saturday (April 20).

Speaking to Star Sports ahead of the marquee clash between Delhi and Hyderabad, Lara said,

“Getting the opportunity to go home and play in front of your own crowd after so long, it's going to be an emotional period. Rishabh Pant is doing so well in the IPL, his first season back. And it's something that you want to experience as a cricket fan. Rishabh Pant, going back to that stadium, it's going to be just electric. And I think it's going to be an awesome match.”

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Meanwhile, having last led Delhi in IPL 2022, Pant suffered a horrific road accident on December 30 of the same year. His car ramped into the dividers before overturning several times and catching fire.

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Although the onlookers managed to get Pant out of the car before it got burnt, the India cricketer suffered multiple injuries, sidelining him from on-field cricket for more than a year.

Pant underwent several surgeries, including on both knees, before beginning with rehab and joining the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to get in shape for a return to the cricket field. Upon getting treated at the NCA ahead of this season, Pant was declared fit for competitive cricket.

While the DC owners and even Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly insisted that Pant would play as a specialist batter, the attacking left-hander received a clearance certificate from the doctors to keep wickets in IPL 2024.

Pant returns to form

Considering it’s not easy for anyone to get back into form right after returning from serious injuries, Pant has done excessively well on that front. Although he began poorly or rather at this pace, Pant gained momentum and form heading into the halfway stage of the tournament.

The Arun Jaitley Stadium gears up to host its first match of #TATAIPL 2024 🏟️

It's the Delhi Capitals 💙 who lock horns with the Sunrisers Hyderabad 🧡

Who are you backing? 🤔 #DCvSRH pic.twitter.com/QAqPSMbGhZ — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 20, 2024

In seven contested matches thus far, Pant has scored 210 runs, including two fifties, with his highest being 55. While he has looked far from convincing, the attacking batter has a lot to prove, including pressing for his case in India’s T20 World Cup squad in the West Indies and the USA starting June 1.

Meanwhile, Delhi sits in the sixth spot on the points table with three wins from seven matches.