Ponting backs under-fire skipper Pant despite Delhi's IPL exit / Photo: © AFP
-
Nick Harkaway Expands John le Carré’s Spy Universe in 'The Taper Man'
-
Binance CFO Kaiser Ng Departs Amid Aftermath of $6.3 Billion Hack
-
Rene Eyre Revisits Autobiographical Performance 'Say A Little Prayer' in London
-
London Museum Granted 24/7 License Ahead of November Opening
-
UAE's HCT Holds Record Graduation and Announces Major Training Expansion
-
Dana White Confirms Flight to Washington for Trump Meeting on Press Secretary Role
-
NASA Awards $10B Lunar Contract Framework to SpaceX, Blue Origin
-
Dengue Fever Expands Into High Himalayas as Climate Change Warms Nepal
-
Katy Perry Tells Fans Ex-Husband Russell Brand 'Should Be in Jail' During UK Concert
-
IoT Refrigerator Hacks Disrupt Blood Labs and Supermarkets Across Europe and US
-
South African election results renew debate over identity-based voting
-
Post-election pressures complicate US and Israeli decisions on Iran
-
South African voters report smoother local election but declining IEC trust
-
UN members approve talks on treaty protocol against environmental crime
-
Dolly Parton museum and Nashville hotel open after singer’s death
-
Family-run West Sussex beach café prepares for first winter season
-
George and Amal Clooney attend New York political-comedy reading
Ponting backs under-fire skipper Pant despite Delhi's IPL exit
Coach Ricky Ponting said Rishabh Pant remained his choice as Delhi Capitals skipper, despite blunders from the wicketkeeper-batsman that cost the team a place in the Indian Premier League playoffs.
Pant dropped a catch and failed to review a caught-behind chance off Mumbai Indians batsman Tim David, who went on smash a match-winning 11-ball 34 on Saturday.
Mumbai, the five-time winners who ended bottom of the 10-team table, chased down their victory target of 160 to allow Royal Challengers Bangalore sneak in to the final four of the Twenty20 tournament.
"Absolutely no doubt in my mind that Rishabh, even the last season, was the right choice for the captaincy," Ponting told reporters after his team's five-wicket defeat.
"He is still a very young man. He is still learning about the captaincy side of things. He has certainly got my full backing and looking forward to getting back working with him next year."
The left-handed Pant made 39 in Delhi's 159-7 but dropped an easy catch off South African teenager Dewald Brevis who made a crucial 37 off 33 balls in Mumbai's successful chase.
The 24-year-old then failed to call for a review when David appeared to have edged his first ball with technology suggesting the batsman had nicked it to Pant.
"It's always hard to put your finger on single aspect of the game," Poting said. "You can rewind the clock to the start of the game as well when our top-order batting was so poor.
"Obviously Tim David was out first ball, but there are so many aspects that we will be disappointed (with), but the important thing is that the players need to learn from games like this."
Mumbai skipper and all-format India captain Rohit Sharma also threw his weight behind Pant, who is being groomed as a future leader in the national team.
"He is a quality captain, we have seen it in the past season how he leads his team. Sometimes things don't go your way, I have gone through such situations, such things happen on the ground," Rohit said.
"He has a great mind, he reads the game well from behind, and such fumbles can happen and it is important to not doubt yourself. He will come back strong."
Delhi, who faltered in the playoffs last year and have never been IPL champions, finished in fifth place with seven wins and seven losses.
F.Pavlenko--BTB
