NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals are zeroing in on talented Bengal keeper-batter Abhishek Porel as replacement of the injured Rishabh Pant for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, according to sources tracking the developments in the franchise.
Pant, who met with a horrific car accident late last year and ruled out of competitive cricket for at least one year, was an integral part of the Delhi franchise along with being their skipper. Delhi have been fretting about an Indian replacement for Pant for a long time now.
"Delhi Capitals are likely to put forth Abhishek Porel's name as Rishabh's replacement for the current season. He is only 21 and under the guidance of Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly, could be groomed as a second option even after Rishabh comes back," an IPL source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
It is also learnt that maverick Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan will be Delhi' No.1 keeper-batter for at least the first few games, as it is unlikely that Phil Salt will be used from the onset.
"As of now, it looks like Sarfaraz will start against Lucknow Super Giants and if the experiment works, then he will continue," the source said.
The problem with Phil Salt could be his batting on a Kotla track which is not conducive for strokeplay. The ball won't come on to the bat easily and he is likely to find it difficult against quality spinners.
The Delhi Capitals during their first camp in Kolkata had summoned Bengal's Porel, Karnataka gloves men Luvnith Sisodia and Saurashtra's domestic giant Sheldon Jackson for the trials but they were undecided.
In Delhi, they also included Barinder Vivek Singh, currently Railways' second keeper after Upendra Yadav and a hard-hitting left-hander, who boasts of a century in the National T20 Championship for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
While Jackson is the biggest name, but at 36, he is certainly not one for the future. Another logic is that Jackson hasn't been able to crack the IPL code in all these years, and perhaps, not much is left in the tank.
1/10:IPL Top-10: Players with the highest strike rates
2/10:Andre Russell: 177.88
<p>No surprise to see 'Muscle-Russell' on top of the list of highest strike rates in the IPL. KKR’s destructive all-rounder has a strike rate of 177.88 in 98 matches of the IPL. He has played 10 seasons of the IPL so far and has scored over 2000 runs, with 137 fours and 175 sixes. His highest IPL score so far is 88*<br /></p>
3/10:Ben Cutting: 168.79
<p>One of the cleanest hitters of the ball, Cutting is 2nd on this list. In the 2016 edition, Cutting’s match-winning performance of 39 off 15 took SRH to their maiden IPL title. Cutting has a strike rate of 168.79 in 21 matches of the IPL.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>
4/10:Liam Livingstone: 166.86
<p>The explosive English all-rounder has been one of the biggest hitters of the ball in recent times in world cricket. He has played 3 seasons of the IPL so far and has a strike rate of 168.86 in 23 matches, with 4 fifties. He has so far hit 38 fours and 40 sixes in the IPL.<br /></p>
5/10:Jitesh Sharma: 163.64
<p>Wicket-keeper batter Jitesh Sharma made his IPL debut last year for SRH and made headlines with his big hits in the tournament. He smashed 22 fours and 12 sixes in 12 matches and finished the 2022 season with 234 runs. Sharma has a strike rate of 163.64 in the IPL.<br /><br /><br /></p>
6/10:Sunil Narine: 162.69
<p>The 5th player on this list is another West Indian batter who has been used as a pinch-hitting opener from time to time by KKR. He has the ability to send the bowling attack to the cleaners on his day. Narine the batter has a strike rate of 169.69 in 148 matches of the IPL.<br /></p>
7/10:Bhanuka Rajapaksa: 159.69
<p>The hard-hitting left-hand batter debuted in last year’s IPL or the Punjab Kings. The Sri Lankan batter has a strike rate of 159.69 in 9 matches of the IPL so far. His highest score so far has been 43 vs RCB. <br /></p>
8/10:Virender Sehwag: 155.44
<p>No one has personified the 'see the ball, hit the ball' mantra more than Virender Sehwag. In the IPL too, he was one of the cleanest hitters. He played for the Delhi and Punjab franchises. Sehwag had a strike rate of 155.44 in 104 IPL matches.<br /></p>
9/10:Chris Morris: 155.27
<p>One of South Africa's most impactful all-rounders of recent times, Morris was once a hot favourite in the IPL. Morris was also known for his big hits in the shortest format. In the 2016 IPL, Morris smashed 82* off 32 balls playing for Delhi against Gujarat Lions. Delhi though lost the match by 1 run. Morris had a strike rate of 155.27 in 81 matches.<br /></p>
10/10:Glenn Maxwell: 153.88
<p>The 'Big-show' has been a sensation in the IPL. Maxwell has the potential to be the X-factor of his team. He currently plays for RCB. In 110 IPL matches, Maxwell has a strike rate of 153.88.<br /></p>Ditto for Vivek, who is more of a part-time glovesman and keeping against the scorching pace of Anrich Nortje could be a difficult proposition for a non-specialist.
Sisodia did have his moments but it is understood that Porel has impressed both Ponting and Ganguly during the trial games.
Porel has so far scored six half-centuries in 16 first-class games, apart from 66 dismissals with the gloves. He has only played three domestic matches, but DC still decided to invest in him.
Meanwhile, with Bangladesh taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ongoing three-match series against Ireland, DC are expecting that the BCB might just release Mustafizur Rahman before their first game on April 1.
The Ireland T20 series ends on April 1, and after that, there is a one-off Test match, but Mustafizur had quit the traditional format to prolong his white-ball career.
(With inputs from PTI)
