IPL 2023: BCCI Asks Delhi Capitals To ‘Avoid’ Flashing Rishabh Pant’s Jersey, Calls It “Bit Over The Top”

Ahead of the near-fatal injury of the Indian cricket Rishabh Pant, the Delhi Capitals regular captain Pant is likely to watch the team’s first home game against the Gujarat Titans today i.e. on Tuesday from the Feroz Shah Kotla stands. According to the IPL sources, “Rishabh has always been an integral part of Delhi Capitals. There is a high possibility that he will be present for the season’s first home game against GT on Tuesday. He will be in the team owner’s box but if ACSU allows, he might also sit for some time in the team dug-out.”

Last year, Rishabh Pant met with a horrifying car accident which ruled him out of the cricket matches for a considerable period. After that, he went through several surgeries on his right knee and has just started walking and doing his rehabilitation.

To support and remember the cricket player, in the opening match against Lucknow Super Giants, the Delhi Capitals had hung Rishabh’s jersey no 17 on the pavilion side as “a gesture that he is always with the team in spirit.”

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BCCI calls this move a ‘bit over the top’

However, the BCCI has made it clear that such a gesture seemed to be a “bit over the top” and was at one level “uncalled for.”

As per the IPL source, “It seemed a bit over the top. Such a gesture is reserved in case of ultimate tragedy or retirement. In this case, it was neither. Rishabh is well and truly on his way to recovery faster than he expected. So while it was done with a noble intention, it is learnt that BCCI has politely told the franchise to avoid such gesture in future.”

This move was simply understood as it was head coach Ricky Ponting’s idea to display the skipper’s jersey from the dugout.

The DC will be honouring Rishabh Pant by inscribing his jersey number on one of the games when the team will wear a different colour. However, it is said that the number of his jersey will be inscribed in one corner and it will not be an infringement on the player’s individual jersey number.