Rishabh Pant was a happy captain to come out on the victorious side after Delhi Capitals (DC) pipped Gujarat Titans (GT) by four runs in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday.
Pant, returning to competitive cricket after his car accident in late December, smashed an unbeaten 88 off 43 balls which propelled DC to 224/4 after GT won the toss and chose to field first. Pant provided a perfect finish to DC’s innings when he smashed Mohit Sharma for 31 runs in the last over as the GT fast bowler registered the most expensive bowling figures in IPL history with 0-73.
“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 the confidence in a game. The more time I spend in the centre, the better I feel,” Pant said at the post-match presentation.
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GT skipper Shubman Gill sliced a catch at mid-off off Anrich Nortje’s third ball and got dismissed cheaply in his 100th IPL game before impact player Sai Sudharsan (65) and Wriddhiman Saha (39) brought the chase back on track with an 82-run second-wicket stand.
Delhi came back through spinners Kuldeep Yadav (2/29) and Axar Patel (1/28) in the middle overs before David Miller hit a 21-ball half-century and swung the momentum in GT’s favour.
After Rashid Khan was dropped by Abishek Porel on first ball of the 18th over, David Miller glanced Mukesh for four, before clipping straight to deep backward square leg and fall for a 23-ball 55.
Despite Nortje having an over left, Pant opted for Rasikh Salam.
With 37 runs needed off 12 balls, Rashid worked Rasikh for a boundary and Tristan Stubbs even saved a six off him, followed by R Sai Kishore keeping the match alive with consecutive sixes, before being castled by the pacer.
When Pant was asked about choosing Rasikh for the 19th over, he said: “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.”
The equation came down to 19 runs in the final over, and Rashid began by whipping Mukesh for a four in the gap between long-on and mid-wicket. When the pacer pitched it wide, Rashid was quick to slash over extra cover for a boundary.
After two dot balls, Rashid lofted a six over long-off. With three runs needed off the last ball, Rashid hit off a yorker, but the ball went one bounce to long-off, as DC held their nerve to get a tight win.
“I think it is about instincts as a captain, it will come off sometimes. Happy it worked today,” Pant said.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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