It was a horrid evening for Delhi Capitals (DC) as they conceded the second-biggest total in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). While the bowling was below par, Rishabh Pant missed out on two separate opportunities to opt for DRS and reverse the decision. The first was crucial as DC would have dismissed Sunil Narine for a 24 in the fourth over itself.
On the fourth ball of the over bowled by Ishant Sharma, Narine swung his bat wildly but failed to connect. However, there was a tiny edge off his bat. Neither Ishant nor Pant appealed for caught behind but Mitchell Marsh convinced the skipper to take DRS. As Pant did the DRS signal, umpire Ulhas Gandhe told him that the 15-second window was already over. After the match, Pant explained why he didn’t review the decision soon enough.
“It was quite loud (the venue) and couldn't see the timer on the screen (talking about the non-DRS moments) and there was some issue with the screen as well, there are some things you can control and some you cannot control, you just need to go with the flow,” the wicketkeeper-batter said in the post-match presentation.
Another missed opportunity
Narine went on to score 85 runs from 39 balls including seven fours and seven sixes. When he departed, KKR were 164/2 in the 13th over. Later in the innings, KKR skipper Iyer survived a review too. In the 15th over, Rasikh Salam managed to get a faint edge off Iyer's bat as he attempted a late cut. He was batting on just three runs. He hit two sixes in his 11-ball 18 cameo featuring a couple of sixes.
Pant’s quickfire knock
Pant rescued DC from a batting collapse. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed five sixes and four fours in his 25-ball 55. He shared a 97-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Tristan Stubbs.
“Time to reflect better as a team, as an individual and come back strong in the next game. I am enjoying each and every day (talking about his fitness and comeback) and cricket has its own ups and downs, and at the same time you can try and give your best as an individual,” he added.
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