'I have told the boys to keep their doors open': DC head coach Ricky Ponting's plan to build close-knit squad

Delhi Capitals (DC) franchise led by Rishabh Pant will start their Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign against Mumbai Indians (MI) on March 27, at the Brabourne Stadium, in Mumbai. DC head coach Ricky Ponting feels that the players who have been retained by the team management now have a responsibility to guide the youngsters.

Retained players

Delhi Capitals had retained four players- skipper Rishabh Pant, opening batsman Prithvi Shaw, spin all-rounder Axar Patel and South Africa pacer Anrich Nortje- ahead of the mega auction and the head coach is trying his best to get to know the rest of the squad.

"I have told the boys to keep their doors open when they are in their rooms and get to know each other. I am going to have breakfast, lunch and dinner with all the younger guys that I don't know," Ponting was quoted as saying in a media release.

"When you show love towards the younger guys as a coach or a senior player, you know that they are going to give it back. The guys who have been in the Delhi Capitals camp for a while definitely have the responsibility of guiding the youngsters in the team.

"Rishabh's captain, so he's going to do that anyway, but guys like Prithvi, Axar and Nortje will also have their roles and responsibilities within the team,” the DC head coach further added.

Focus on crucial aspects

The former Australia skipper feels that currently the team need to “focus on” what they “need to do to get ready for game one.”

"At the moment, we need to really focus on what we need to do to get ready for game one. I had a great first session with the players. There's an energetic vibe around the team, which is what we always strive for," Ponting said.

Delhi Capitals full squad for IPL 2022

David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (captain), Sarfaraz Khan, KS Bharat, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Enrique Norkhia, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Mustafizur Rahman, Ashwin Hebbar, Khaleel Ahmed, Chetan Sakaria, Lalit Yadav, Ripple Patel , Yash Dhul, Shrikar Bharat, Rovman Powell, Praveen Dubey, Mandeep Singh, Lungi Ngidi, Tim Seifert, Vicky Ostwal