Rabada keen to start well, says Upton

It is a debut IPL season for many exciting talents. One such player who has drawn attention for his first stint with the league is Kagiso Rabada.

The left-arm pacer from South Africa is one of the key players of Delhi Daredevils and coach Paddy Upton said Rabada is eager to succeed in the tournament. Should Rabada play on Wednesday, the Royal Challengers Bangalore will be wary of the 21-year-old.

“He is a very, very exciting prospect. He is very competitive and very hungry. Obviously he is a great bowler and a fit player. In his first IPL, he will be looking forward to enjoy himself by putting in some good performances. It is nice that he has got some really nice international fast bowlers around him. Pat Cummins and Rabada can work in tandem and share their knowledge with each other,” said Upton in the pre-match press conference here on Friday.

Rishabh Pant, who rushed to Roorkee from New Delhi following his father’s demise on Wednesday night, joined the Daredevils squad on Friday evening.

“It is very, very difficult particularly when a tragedy happens like this suddenly. He is a young man. So we are going to really need the whole team to rally around him to give him a lot of support, not only over the next couple of days but throughout the IPL. Something like this is obviously going to affect him in the long term. We just have to be mindful and be supportive of his personal situation,” said Upton.

Karun Nair, after  an ordinary Test series against Australia, will be looking to make an impact. “I have been fortunate enough to work with Karun for the last four years. We are excited about the possibility with which Karun arrives this year, not only as a batsman, but also as a good fielder,” he said.