A positive Covid-19 test report of South African pacer Andre Nortje has ruled him out of Delhi Capitals’ match against Rajasthan Royals along with Kagiso Rabada in Mumbai on Thursday. Both the players are in quarantine in the team hotel.

There was no confirmation from Delhi Capitals but it is understood that the pair arrived with negative reports but tests thereafter revealed positive and negative reports. Though asymptomatic, the franchise is awaiting the result of another test.

Both players flew in together on commercial flights on April 6 after the second ODI of their home series against Pakistan. Their quarantine period was to end on April 13 as per the SOPs but both have been confined to their hotel rooms.

This has definitely come as a significant blow to the Capitals, who would have wanted to field both Nortje and Rabada against the Royals. Spinner Axar Patel is still recovering after having tested positive for Covid-19 earlier.

Regular captain Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out with a shoulder injury and stand-in Rishabh Pant put in a good show in their opener against Chennai Super Kings.

Pant’s thought process as a leader is quite similar to Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson, feels the franchise’s head coach Ricky Ponting, describing the sprightly wicketkeeper-batsman as a “winner”.

“Someone like him (Pant), you want him to get involved in the game as early as possible, and bat for as long as possible,” Ponting told cricket.com-au. “The way he thinks, he is actually a bit like Virat or Kane. Now, if they are in at the end, you are going to win more often than not no matter how many runs are required,” Ponting said.

“He is energetic and you can hear that from behind the stumps, he loves being in the contest and he is a winner,” Ponting said.

Ponting understands that there will be questions about Pant’s glovework but asserts that he has shown remarkable improvement during the England series. “...he’s just brilliant. The comparisons are always going to be always there for someone who bats like that,” he responded to Pant’s being compared with his former teammate Adam Gilchrist.

“Gilly’s keeping is better than Rishabh’s no doubt about that. The way I saw him keep on turning pitches in India (vs England), I thought he kept way better than I thought he could,” said Ponting.

“If his keeping improves, with his batting, he could be India’s keeper in Tests for next 10-12 years no doubt,” he said.