New Delhi, Dec 22 (IANS): The Rishabh Pant-led Delhi Capitals will look to fill five slots and strengthen their squad during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Mini-Auction 2023 in Kochi on Friday.

The Delhi Capitals, who finished at the fifth place in IPL 2022, retained 19 players earlier this year.

"We did a good job in the last Auction. We have retained 19 players which shows the belief the management has on our current team. However, we do have a few gaps in our squad and we have identified the kind of players we need to acquire during the Auction according to our purse," said Delhi Capitals' assistant coach Pravin Amre in a media release ahead of the Mini-Auction.

The Delhi Capitals Head of Talent Search Saba Karim also shared his excitement as ten franchises gear up for the Mini-Auction.

"We are in a happy space as we built a strong side last year. However, we are looking forward to the Auction to fill some spaces in our squad. Ricky Ponting has been sharing his thoughts and his insights have always been handy," said Saba.

The Indian Premier League will witness the introduction of the Impact Player in its next season in 2023. The teams will be allowed to substitute one player called the Impact Player, who can bat and bowl during a game.

Asked about the same, Amre said, "The introduction of the Impact Player is a good thing for the tournament. And the coaching staff will have to be on their toes during the match as we may need to make a decision of utilizing the Impact Player at any time of the match. The Impact Player could be a gamechanger for teams in the IPL."

Meanwhile, Karim said that the Impact Player will add more value to Indian players in the tournament.

"The introduction of the Impact Player throws up a different kind of challenge altogether. I think this rule will add more value to the Indian players. Many Indian players, who didn't get an opportunity in the last season, may get a look in as an Impact Player in the next season. So, let's see how it goes," he said.