New Delhi: Delhi Capitals are set to sign Bengal wicket-keeper batter Abishek Porel as a replacement for the injured Rishabh Pant for the upcoming IPL 2023.
As per an ESPNcricinfo report, Porel’s signing comes following a series of practice games at a week-long preparatory camp of the franchise in the national capital.
Apart from Porel, the three other uncapped wicketkeepers — Sheldon Jackson, Luvnith Sisodia, and Vivek Singh — were put through a series of match simulation exercises and were monitored by the Capitals coaching group, headed by director of cricket Sourav Ganguly and head coach Ricky Ponting, over the past week.
Eventually, Capitals decided to go ahead with Porel, who during his first full season with Bengal in domestic cricket, impressed with his glove work. However, he failed to make big scores across formats, scoring just 22 runs in his three outings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The batter has slightly better returns in first-class cricket, having managed six half-centuries across 26 innings with a best of 73.
The report further said that though Porel comes as Pant’s replacement, Sarfaraz Khan, who featured in six games in IPL 2022 and scored 91 runs with a best of 36, is the front-runner to play and keep wickets.
Sarfaraz, who has been in sensational form with the bat over the past three domestic seasons, was asked by the Capitals’ management to be ready for the wicketkeeper’s role since Pant is still recovering from injuries sustained in a serious car crash in December.
The 25-year-old played as the wicket-keeper batter for Mumbai at the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s.
The other wicketkeeping option Delhi have is England’s Phil Salt, who has signed for his base price of INR 2 crore at this year’s auction.
Delhi Capitals begin their campaign April 1 in an away fixture against Lucknow Super Giants.