'Guru vs Chela': Ravi Shastri all geared up for Dhoni-Pant clash as CSK take on Delhi Capitals
MUMBAI: Team India head coach Ravi Shastri is excited to witness the clash between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Delhi Capitals in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday.
Newly-appointed Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant in his first game as captain will face former India skipper MS Dhoni and Shastri is excited for the 'Master versus Disciple' show in the IPL match. "Guru vs Chela. Bahot Maza aayega aaj. Stump Mic suniyega zaroor #DhoniReturns #Pant #IPL2021," Shastri tweeted.
Pant is also looking forward to leading the team for the first time and the wicket-keeper batsman said it will be "extra special to walk out for the toss with Dhoni".
"It will be extra special to walk out for the toss with MS Dhoni tomorrow. This will be the first time that I will be leading an IPL team and the first match is against Mahi bhai. I have learned a lot from him, and I have gained a lot of experience from him. Hopefully, I can use this experience against him, and we can win this match. That's what I am looking forward to," Pant said in a statement.
Pant added that the Delhi Capitals squad, for the IPL 2021, has a great mix of experience and youth. "I have been talking to the senior players like Shikhar Dhawan, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane about the fields we can set and other strategic decisions for the team. I have been talking to Ricky and our bowling coach James Hopes as well. There's a good mix of seniors and juniors in our squad and I think with the help of Ricky, we can do something different this year," the skipper said.
On the other hand, despite witnessing a dismal run in the last season, CSK will still enter the 2021 edition of the IPL as one of the favourites, given the franchise's track record on Indian soil. Not to forget the experience the side has at its disposal.
The team will step into the new season with several changes as Shane Watson retired from all forms of cricket following last year's IPL while CSK opted not to retain Harbhajan Singh.
Despite the absence of these two, CSK still has surfeit experience in the squad. Also, the Dhoni-led team will see the return of Suresh Raina, who had missed the last edition of the tournament. Raina's return will bolster the team's batting line-up.