After scoring an excellent fifty against Chennai Super Kings in their IPL match, Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant on Sunday said he always had the confidence to make a comeback in top-level cricket. Pant smashed four boundaries and three maximums, including his trademark hand-off-the-bat six, during his 32-ball 51 that took DC to a competitive 191 for 5 against CSK, and ultimately to a 20-run win. Pant returned to competitive cricket in this IPL after recovering from a life-threatening road accident in December 2022, and this was his first fifty in three matches this season.
“A year and a half…this is something I have built my life on. I still have to keep learning as a cricketer,” Pant said when asked if he ever thought he might not be able to play such shots again.
“I had the confidence that whatever happened, I had to get back to the ground and I didn’t think about anything else,” he said during the post-match presentation.
Pant seemed to be struggling a bit initially but he picked up pace in the final overs as 43 runs came in the last three overs.
“As a cricketer, I have to give my 100 per cent. It took some time initially as I have not played much cricket in the last one and a half years,” he said.
Pant also praised bowlers for the win as pacers Khaleel Ahmed (2/21) and Mukesh Kumar (3/21) restricted CSK to 171 for six.
“Bowlers have been clinical today. We have learned from our mistake,” he said.
While Ahmed shone in the powerplay, Mukesh was fantastic in the middle overs with his variations and changes of pace.
When asked if this would be the role of the two bowlers from now on, Pant said, “It will depend from match to match, but if Mukesh can bowl at the death, it will be great.”
Prithvi Shaw, playing his first match this season, made a 27-ball 43 and Pant said: “He has been working hard for the last two weeks (Shaw). We thought it was time to give him a chance and he flourished.”
It was CSK’s first defeat after two wins and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad did not want to worry.
“After two good games you can expect the third game to be sub-par and that’s nothing to worry about. Just two or three hits here and there. If we had put one or two boundaries in the field it could have been different are,” he says. said.
Gaikwad was also happy with the way the bowlers came back to keep DC at 191 for 5, especially after they were 93 without loss at one point.
“I think I was quite happy with the way they (bowlers) came back after the start (powerplay). Restricting them to 191 was a good effort. The pitch was on the better side in the first innings. There was extra seam movement and spongy bounce in the second innings,” he said.
Chasing the total, CSK did not have a good start as both their openers got out quickly.
“I felt he (Rachin Ravindra) missed it by a big margin. We couldn’t get going in the first three overs and that was the difference. It was doable at the halfway mark,” he said.
“We couldn’t capitalize and were always behind. We failed to lower the run rate.” Ahmed was named player of the match and he attributed his success to the grind of the domestic season.
“I have been working hard in the domestic season. I have played a lot of matches in the last six months, which has helped me to get to know my game better.
“I love it when the ball swings and the batters get beaten. I’ve been trying to figure out how to keep myself fit. The red ball game teaches you a lot about how the ball comes out of the hand. My ultimate goal is to play for India.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by WhatsNew2Day staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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