India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, on Saturday, received a rapturous welcome at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, ahead of the start of the inaugural season of the Delhi Premier League 2024. Pant, who is the captain of the Purani Dilli 6 squad, was part of the opening fixture of the T20 league, where the side faced South Delhi Superstars, led by Ayush Badoni.

With the Indian cricket team having entered a rare 42-period international break, beginning last week following the end of the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, Pant agreed to be part of the Delhi Premier League, along with senior India cricketer Ishant Sharma, who is part of his team in the tournament. 

Pant received a grand welcome from the organisers, who arranged fireworks, and the crowd, who cheered loudly for the India star. He was later honoured for his ICC T20 World Cup heroics by DDCA President Rohan Jaitley and BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla.

'Delhi Premier League an opportunity for young players'

Ahead of the tournament opener, Pant spoke about the opportunities, which players from Purani Dilli 6 and other teams will be getting, in the league. He also expressed excitement in playing the League in front of the fans from Delhi.

"I'm really excited to play in Delhi Premier League because I feel on the ground level a very big opportunity for players who don't get recognition in IPL. When people see playing you these leagues, they can pick you from these league. Hopefully, they (young players) have a good journey in the tournament," he told Purani Dilli 6.

Pant will next feature in the opening round of Duleep Trophy 2024, which will be played between September 5 and 24. It will mark his return to red-ball cricket for the first time since his car accident in December 2022. A good performance in the season's first domestic tournament could see him make the Indian Test team for the impending two-match series against Bangladesh next month, but Pant will be battling against KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan and Dhurv Jurel for the wicketkeeping spot in the national side.

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