Rishabh Pant Points His One Match-Ban For DC’s Scanty Playoff Chances: ‘Had a Better Chance of Qualifying If I Played’

Cric News India IPL News 2025

May 15, 2024 0 996

Rishabh Pant lamented his one-match ban, suggesting it may have hindered Delhi Capitals’ chances of qualifying for the IPL playoffs.

Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Rishabh Pant believes his one-match suspension for slow over rate may have cost his team a spot in the IPL playoffs. Pant missed the crucial match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), which DC lost by 47 runs. The defeat not only hampered their points on the table but also hurt their net run rate, forcing them to rely on other teams’ results for qualification.

“I wouldn’t say we would have definitely won the game if I had played. But we had a better chance of qualifying if I had had a chance to play in the last game,” Pant said after DC’s win over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their final league match.

However, he acknowledged the team’s struggles: “We started the season with a lot of hope, but there were injuries and ups and downs. But as a franchise, you can’t complain all the time; you have to make use of what you have. There are some things that you can control, but some things that you can’t,” added Pant.

ALSO READ | BCCI Eyes Ricky Ponting and Stephen Fleming as India’s Head Coach after Rahul Dravid Steps Down: Reports

Meanwhile, LSG captain KL Rahul pinpointed their struggles in the powerplay overs as a major reason for their failure to qualify. Losing wickets early meant they could not capitalise on the firepower of players like Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran. “We kept losing wickets in the powerplay, never getting a solid start,” said Rahul.

With the league stage concluded, all eyes are on the remaining matches until May 19th to see if DC can sneak into the playoffs.