IPL 2022: Ponting, Pant confident of Delhi Capitals making a good start against Mumbai Indians

Having made it to the playoff in the last edition, Delhi Capitals are hoping to go all the way in IPL 2022, and are confident of a good start in the 15th edition of the cash-rich T20 league against Mumbai Indians at the Brabourne Stadium, here on Sunday.

The Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting said he is confident about his team's chances against Mumbai, Ponting said during a virtual press conference on Saturday.

"We've been working exceptionally hard on making sure that the guys that are here are ready for their first challenge. I believe we have good depth in our squad. Yes, we are missing some overseas players for the first couple of games, but that's no worry for us. I fully expect that we can get off to a good start on Sunday," the franchise said in a press release on Saturday.

When captain Rishabh Pant was asked about his personal goals this season, he said, "I have not thought about my personal goals. We are just focusing on the team's needs and that is the most important thing for us in the Delhi Capitals. It's always exciting to have new players in our team, but we are continuing to follow the same process we have been following in the last few years."

The wicketkeeper-batter also spoke about the inclusion of David Warner and Rovman Powell in the Delhi franchise for this season. "David Warner was one of the biggest buys for us in the auction. I am very happy with his inclusion in the team. Rovman Powell can also be the X-factor player for us. He has immense power and I think it's going to be great to have him on our side. Hopefully, Rovman can live up to his expectations and help Delhi Capitals this year," Pant said.

When Ponting was asked about the similarities between Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma, he said, "Rishabh and Rohit are quite similar people. I know they are great mates and they are probably exchanging notes about leadership and captaincy. There's every possibility for Rishabh's journey to be quite similar to Rohit's. I have got no doubt that Rishabh could be an international captain in years to come."

Ponting also spoke about the inclusion of India U-19 World Cup-winning captain Yash Dhull in the DC franchise, "Yash has been through the Delhi Capitals Academy. This is a great example of what the DC Academy has been able to produce. Yash is someone who's good enough to captain India in a successful U-19 World Cup campaign. He's been a great inclusion into our squad. I also look forward to seeing a lot of the other younger guys get an opportunity through the next couple of months."