Rishabh Pant smashed a fifty and his trademark one-handed six to lead the Delhi Capitals to their first win of the season.
Rishabh Pant marked his much-anticipated return to competitive cricket with a fighting half-century and a signature one-handed six, leading the Delhi Capitals (DC) to a thrilling 20-run victory over the Chennai Super Kings in Visakhapatnam on March 31.
The southpaw, who had been sidelined for 14 months after a car accident, walked out to bat at number three after a strong opening partnership by David Warner and Prithvi Shaw. While he started slow, scoring 23 off his first 23 balls, Pant soon found his rhythm and exploded in the later overs. He smashed a well-deserved 51 off just 32 balls before being dismissed in the penultimate over by CSK’s Matheesha Pathirana.
Speaking after the match, Pant expressed his emotions about returning to cricket again. “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 take my time initially because I haven’t played much cricket in the last one-and-a-half to two years, so I thought I had to give myself enough time. At the same time, I kept believing that I could change the match at the end.” said Pant, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Upon being asked how much time Pant had to wait to be back on the field again, the southpaw said, “One and a-half years. Because every day I love to be on the field, and this is something I have depended on my life on. Yes, those one-and-a-half years were a wait, but at the same time, you’ve got to keep doing what you can as a cricketer and keep learning from it.”
Pant further said he never worried about not being able to play cricket again. “I think I always had the self-belief that whatever happens in life, I need to be back on the ground. That was the thought process, and I never thought about anything else,” concluded Pant. After securing their first victory of the season, Pant and Co. will be next seen facing KKR on April 3rd.
Last Updated on April 1, 2024
