Delhi Capitals (DC) will meet Gujarat Titans (GT) in Pune in the second match of the IPL 2022 doubleheader on April 2, 2022.
The Rishabh Pant-led team had beaten Mumbai INdians (MI) in their tournament opener, by chasing down a 178-run target with four wickets in hand and 10 balls to spare.
DC, who have yet to win an IPL title in their 15-year history, is seen as one of the top contenders for the IPL 2022 trophy as they attempt to end their title drought.
Captain Pant, who has been outstanding for the team over the last few seasons, is at the heart of their effort. Since joining the franchise in 2016, the left-hander has batted at number four for the DC and has put in some impressive performances.
Pant's strike rate has dropped significantly in DC colours over the last two seasons, but former India head coach Ravi Shastri, who has worked closely with Pant, says it is nothing to be concerned about.
“Rishabh is not a sort of player who will be under pressure. He is always going to play his natural game. The way Rishabh plays, being consistent is not easy because he will take chances. He takes care of the strike rate because he comes to bat at no.4, where you have to take the run-scoring up. So, it's a high-risk game there. If he performs, he can cover up his strike rate issue in a single innings,” said Shastri on ESPNCricinfo.
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Rishabh Pant and former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni have similarities, according to Shastri, who adds that Pant is a more composed commander than he appears.
“I liked him tactically as a captain. He used Kuldeep brilliantly and also made good bowling changes. He is a street-smart cricketer and yes, he will learn a lot more,” said Shastri.
“The thing I like about him the most is that his batting and his captaincy is not the same. As a captain, he is a lot more composed. His idol is MS Dhoni, so he tries to a lot of things like him. Even if you watch him before the game, his practice and work ethics are a lot similar to Dhoni. So, he's very composed and very calm.”
Furthermore, if DC does not lose wickets in powerplay overs, Shastri recommended Pant to "push himself up" in the batting order.
“In Powerplay, if there are no wickets, Rishabh should push himself up. There's no harm in playing at 3,” said Shastri.
(ESPNCricinfo inputs)
