Delhi Capitals (DC) recorded their first victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 on Sunday (March 31) as they defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 20 runs in Visakhapatnam.
Opting to bat first, DC got off to a brilliant start as the duo of David Warner (52 off 35) and Prithvi Shaw (43 off 27) added 93 runs for the opening wicket. However, their dismissals triggered a little collapse.
Skipper Rishabh Pant, who came out to bat at No. 3 during the 10th over, started off cautiously but he shifted gears to finish with 51 off 32 balls (4 fours and 3 sixes), propelling the Capitals to 191/5 in 20 overs.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Pant reflected on his knock, saying: “See, as a cricketer I don’t think about [feeling like being back], but at the same time I have to give my 100% each and every day.”
“So what I did was I took my time initially because I haven’t played much cricket in the last one-and-a-half to two years so I thought I have to give myself enough time.
“At the same time I kept believing that I could change the match at the end,” he added.
Notably, the DC captain made his comeback to competitive cricket in the ongoing IPL after recovering from a life-threatening car accident in December 2022. It was his first fifty in three games this season.
Pant was asked how long he had waited to be back on the field. “One-and-a-half years,” he replied. “Because every day I love to be on the field and this is something I have depended my life on.
“Yes, that one-and-a-half years was a wait but at the same time you’ve got to keep doing what you can as a cricketer and keep learning from it.”
Rishabh Pant claimed he always had the belief that he would return to the cricket field again.
“I think I always had self-belief that whatever happens in life, I need to be back on the ground,” he said. “That was the thought process and I never thought about anything else.”
Defending the total, DC restricted the defending champions to 171/6. While some of the CSK batters got starts, they failed to finish the job. Ajinkya Rahane was the top scorer with 45 whereas former skipper MS Dhoni chipped in with a dazzling cameo (37* off 16) towards the end.
Mukesh Kumar was the pick of the DC bowlers, taking three wickets by conceding 21 runs in his three overs. Khaleel Ahmed (2/21 in four overs) and Akshar Patel (1/20 in three overs) also returned with impressive bowling figures.
Pant credited his bowlers for turning the momentum in DC’s favour. “Bowlers have been clinical today. We’ve learnt from our mistake,” he remarked.
The captain also praised Prithvi Shaw for his responsible knock at the top of the order. “He’s been working hard for the last two weeks. We thought it’s time to give him a chance and he flourished,” Pant said.
