DC vs GT: Rishabh Pant enjoying 'every hour on field' in miraculous second innings
IPL 2024: Rishabh Pant won the Player of the Match award in DC's 4-run win over GT for his sensational knock of 88 from 43 balls. The wicketkeeper-batter made the right calls as skipper as his trust on medium pacer Rasikh Salam worked in favour of the home team in Delhi on Wednesday.
In Short
- Rishabh Pant hit 88 from just 43 balls in Delhi's win over Gujarat
- Pant won the Player of the Match for his all-round heroics
- Delhi successfully defended a 224-run total by 4 runs
Rishabh Pant was emotional when he was asked about his sensational batting form in IPL 2024 after he hit a ruthless 88 off 43 in DC's 4-run win over GT on Wednesday. Pant proved his naysayers wrong with a big-hitting masterclass in which he hit 8 sixes and 5 boundaries, bringing back memories of the free-flowing, gravity-defying wicketkeeper-batter that terrorised bowling attacks before the life-threatening road accident in December 2022. DC vs GT, IPL 2024 Highlights | Scorecard
Rishabh Pant said he is slowly, but surely getting back to his formidable best and that every match for Delhi in IPL 2024 matters as he takes the next step in his road to peak fitness and form.
"Every day 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 a game. The more time I spend in the centre, the better I feel," Pant said.
Pant wanted to smell some leather as he hit every shot with incredible power. He took a liking to GT pacer Mohit Sharma, hitting the crafty, senior campaigner for 7 sixes. Pant's onslaught was crucial as Delhi hit 94 runs in their last 5 overs, the second-best tally in IPL history in the said period. Pant's fireworks were so much so that Mohit conceded 73 runs, the most by a bowler in a spell of 4 overs in an innings in the history of the T20 tournament.
Delhi were in a spot of bother as they slipped to 44 for 3, losing their big-hitting openers Jake Fraser-McGurk and Prithvi Shaw early. Shai Hope, who was brought in as a replacement for David Warner, failed to trouble the scorers as Delhi's top-order was rattled in the powerplay.
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However, Pant and Axar Patel launched a counter-attack, smashing the Gujarat bowlers in their 113-run stand which came in just 68 balls. Axar brought up his highest T20 score of 66, but he fell in the 17th over. Tristan Stubbs and Pant then cut loose, helping Delhi smash a few records in the last 5 overs.
Pant also had a happy day behind the stumps as he made the right calls while marshalling the team in their defence of 224. While Shubman Gill got out early, GT kept the chase alive until the final ball, thanks to blazing fifties from Sai Sudharsan and David Miller and handy contributions from Wriddhiman Saha, Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore.
Pant entrusted young Rasikh Salam with the responsibility of bowling the 19th over after the pacer picked 2 crucial wickets in his first 3 overs. Rasikh was pumped for 2 sixes by Kishore but the young medium pacer kept his calm and got the wicket of Sai, leaving 19 runs for Mukesh Kumar to defend.
Pant explained his call of giving Rasikh the final over and why he did not go for Anrich Norje, who has had a few tough outings in IPL 2024.
"Nortje was having a tough time. T20 is a funny game, after 14-15 overs the ball was coming on nicely. So we wanted to trust Rasikh, always trust someone who is bowling well in a game. I think it is about instincts as a captain, it will come off sometimes. Happy it worked today," Pant said.
Delhi moved to the 6th spot on the points table after their 4-run win on Wednesday. The former finalists next face Mumbai at home on Saturday, April 27.