Ahead of the Rajasthan Royals vs. Delhi Capitals match in IPL 2023, Ricky Ponting has revealed some shocking insights about Axar Patel’s captaincy credentials for the Delhi Capitals. The former Australian captain is impressed by the all-rounder’s rise to becoming an all-format player, batting lower down the order, and developing into a bankable all-rounder for India. In the absence of Rishabh Pant, Axar has turned out to be a good leader for the Capitals, and Ponting believes he has the street smartness to become a captain for DC and India in the future.
Although Axar was not named captain after Pant was ruled out of the IPL 2023 due to a car crash, Ponting feels it is only a matter of time before he becomes a captain. In fact, the all-rounder was vice-captain to Rishabh Pant for the last couple of years and was close to becoming the captain. Ponting also commented on Axar’s batting talent, which he had coached him on when he was young, making small changes to his technique to help him reach his full potential.
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Ponting also discussed the possibility of David Warner retiring from one format of international cricket, following his poor form for months. When asked whether Warner should retire from any one format of international cricket, Ponting gave a non-descript answer, saying that there haven’t been many players who have been able to dominate all formats of the game at the same time. He also referenced his own career and how he made a decision to not play T20 cricket and focus on ODIs and Tests for Australia because there was a 50-over World Cup coming up and he had to be the best player he could be.
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Finally, Ponting revealed why David Warner was named the captain of the Delhi Capitals this year. Although the Capitals did consider vice-captain Axar Patel for the job, it was Warner’s pedigree as an IPL-winning captain that gave him an edge. As he started his IPL career in Delhi and is a durable player, it was only natural that Warner would be given the opportunity to lead the team.
As the Capitals prepare to take on the Rajasthan Royals, all eyes will be on the team’s performance, and fans will be eagerly awaiting to see if Axar Patel can lead the team to victory. Follow IPL 2023 Live Updates with Cricreads for all the latest news and updates on the tournament.