‘Ye cartoon kaha se aa gaya’ – Fans react as young Bengal wicketkeeper-batter is set to replace Rishabh Pant in Delhi squad for Indian T20 League 2023

The Indian T20 League 2023 is around the corner as it is set to kick off on March 31 after the completion of the Women’s T20 League. The opening match of the cash-rich league will be played between the Chennai franchise and the defending champions Gujarat at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium.

The Delhi franchise will be locking horns against the Lucknow side in the opening fixture of the 16th edition of the  Indian T20 League on Saturday, April 1, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. For the 2023 edition, the Delhi management has appointed star Australia opener, David Warner as the franchise skipper and star India all-rounder, Axar Patel will be assisting him.

Ahead of the Indian T20 League, the Delhi management has announced Rishabh Pant’s replacement for the upcoming edition. According to the reports, the young Bengal wicketkeeper-batter Abhishek Porel is set to replace him in the Delhi squad for the 16th edition.

Sarfaraz Khan to keep in absence of Rishabh Pant

Porel has so far participated in 16 first-class games, three List A matches, and three T20 games. In February 2022, against Baroda, the left-handed batter played his debut game in first-class cricket. He has six half-centuries and 695 runs at an average of 30.21. In List A cricket, he also scored a half-century.

Porel helped Bengal with crucial Ranji Trophy contributions this year. He scored 49 against Haryana in the group stage, 51 against Madhya Pradesh in the semi-final, and a tough 50 against Saurashtra in the final game. According to a journalist, Porel performed well in the warm-up games. Despite the fact that the Bengal keeper will be joining Delhi for the Indian T20 League in 2023, Sarfaraz Khan will keep for the team’s first few games of the campaign.

Delhi Full Squad Indian T20 League 2023: Ashwin Hebbar, David Warner, Mandeep Singh, Prithvi Shaw, Ripal Patel, Rovman Powell, Sarfaraz Khan, Yash Dhull, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, Mustafizur Rahman, Pravin Dubey, Shardul Thakur, Vicky Ostwal, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav.

Here’s how fans reacted on Abhishek Porel replacing Rishabh Pant for Indian T20 League 2023: