David Warner is set to be named as the new captain of Delhi Capitals for IPL 2023. The Australian will be handed the team’s responsibility in the absence of regular skipper Rishabh Pant, who was ruled out of the tournament after he suffered a serious accident towards the end of last year. According to a report in Cricbuzz, Warner was preferred as the captain due to his previous captaincy experience. The swashbuckling opener won the IPL title with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016. All-rounder Axar Patel will be Warner’s deputy. Aiden Markram Named SunRisers Hyderabad Captain for IPL 2023.

Warner was the favourite to take over as Delhi Capitals captain after Pant was ruled out after his accident. The report in Cricbuzz further claims that the fact that Ricky Ponting being the head coach of the franchise played a part in this decision. "David will be our captain and Axar Patel will be his deputy," a member of the Delhi Capitals’ ownership group confirmed this development. The decision is yet to be made official and an announcement can be expected in the coming days. DC IPL 2023 Schedule: Delhi Capitals Matches in Indian Premier League Season 16 With Full Time Table and Venue Details.

Delhi Capitals will open their IPL 2023 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants on April 1 at the Ekana Stadium. Delhi had missed out on a spot in the playoffs by just two points with a fifth-place finish. The franchise made some impactful additions at the mini-auction last year, roping in star players like Phil Salt, Rilee Rossouw and Manish Pandey, among others. Warner, meanwhile, had a forgettable time in the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023 and was ruled out of the remaining two Test matches due to an elbow injury.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 23, 2023 05:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).