In a display of power hitting and leadership, Rishabh Pant propelled the Delhi Capitals to a thrilling victory over the Gujarat Titans in their IPL 2024 clash on April 23. His unbeaten knock of 88 runs was instrumental in rescuing Delhi from a shaky start. After losing three wickets for just 44 runs within the powerplay at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the Capitals needed a hero. Pant stepped up to the challenge, forging a crucial 113-run partnership with Axar Patel. Patel, promoted to number 3, played a vital role himself with a quickfire 66, but it was Pant's explosive batting that stole the show. His knock powered Delhi to a commanding total of 224 runs for 4 wickets.
The Gujarat Titans put up a valiant chase, with David Miller smashing a blistering 55 and Rashid Khan adding a late flurry with his 21 runs off just 11 balls. However, their efforts fell short as Delhi's bowlers held their nerve, restricting Gujarat to 220 runs for 8 wickets. The win was crucial for Delhi's playoff hopes and further solidified Pant's credentials as a key contender for a spot in India's T20 World Cup squad.
Back on the field after a grueling 14-month recovery from a car accident, Rishabh Pant is all about giving his all. He thrives on the pressure and competition, saying:
“Everyday that I'm in the middle, I feel better. Every hour on the field matters, I love being on the field. I try to give it my 100% and it takes some time sometimes.”
“I think the first six in the match gives me confidence in the game. The more time I spend in the centre, the better I feel,” Pant said at the post match presentation.
Pant explained reason behind giving last over to Rasikh Salam
Pant explained his bowling choice for the crucial second-to-last over, highlighting his strategy of supporting players in form.
He acknowledged that Nortje wasn't at his best, and pointed out the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket, where the ball can behave differently later in the innings. Therefore, they decided to go with Rasikh Salam, who was bowling well throughout the match. In T20, trusting a hot bowler is a proven tactic. GT needed 37 runs in the last two overs when Rasikh was entrusted to bowl the penultimate over. Rasikh went on to concede 18 runs off his six balls which left Shubman Gill's men to make another 19 runs in the final over. However, Mukesh Kumar successfully defended 19 runs and won the match for DC.
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“I think it is about instincts as a captain, it will come off sometimes. Happy it worked today. Surely at 43/3, we wanted to just keep going and target their main spinners. If we get something, we will take it on and keep rotating the strike,” he concluded.
With this win DC have certainly boosted their playoffs chances as they have surged to sixth spot in the IPL 2024's points table with four wins in nine matches. They will next face five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 27.
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