Pant among many names doing the rounds but Capitals are yet to make up their mind
NEW DELHI: Appointing a captain in place of the injured Shreyas Iyer is turning out to be a contentious issue for Delhi Capitals. Iyer is slated to undergo a shoulder surgery and will miss the entire IPL season.
TOI understands that Rishabh Pant was groomed over the last three years for leading the team in the future. Even though Pant remains the frontrunner for the job, it has now emerged that the management is having second thoughts about going ahead with the wicketkeeper-batsman.
TOI Poll: Who should captain Delhi Capitals in the absence of Shreyas Iyer?
Pant was the designated vice-captain last season but now the franchise is spoilt for choice, with some seasoned international stars in the setup. The management, which includes co-owners GMR and JSW, is slated to have a video conference with head coach Ricky Ponting on Friday to discuss the Pant issue and reach a consensus on the matter.
“There is no consensus on who should be captain yet. There’s a faction of the management which is convinced that Pant should assume charge and then there’s another which is keen to have an experienced captain,” a source said.
Steve Smith’s arrival adds to the list of heavyweights including Ravichandran Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan who could do the job.

“Pant is the first name that pops up in everyone’s mind. He is the hot property at the moment. But a few in the management pointed out that his lack of experience in captaining a team could go against him. Also, there’s thought that the added responsibility could hamper his form,” a source said.
The management is not keen on Smith as captain since he is not yet a certain starter in the playing XI.
Some members are keen on Ashwin or Rahane leading. Rahane’s indifferent form in T20 cricket meant he played only a few games last season. But with Iyer out, he could be the batsman to stabilize the batting line-up. At this moment, Ashwin is also in the race.
There’s also a line of thought that Prithvi Shaw, with a U-19 World Cup crown and a Vijay Hazare Trophy title as captain under his belt, could also be a contender. But his international form won’t help his cause.