DC skipper Rishabh Pant opened up about his strategic thinking and on-field confidence that led his team to victory against GT.
The Delhi Capitals edged past the Gujarat Titans by a narrow margin of four runs in a thrilling encounter on Wednesday, April 24th. This victory pushed them to the sixth position on the IPL points table. A key factor in their success was the leadership of captain Rishabh Pant, whose crucial decisions and on-field confidence played a significant role.
In a post-match presentation, Pant shed light on his strategic thinking and the self-belief that he maintained throughout the match. “Every day that I’m in the middle, I feel better. Every hour on the field matters. I love being on the field. I try to give it my 100%, and it takes some time sometimes. I think the first six minutes of the match give me confidence in a game. The more time I spend in the centre, the better I feel,” Pant said at the post-match presentation, as quoted by News18.
In the match, the Gujarat Titans suffered a narrow 4-run defeat against the Delhi Capitals despite a valiant effort in their chase of 225. Openers Shubman Gill (6) fell cheaply in his 100th IPL match, but a solid second-wicket partnership between Sai Sudharsan (65) and Wriddhiman Saha (39) steadied the chase. However, soon, spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel pegged Gujarat back in the middle overs.
David Miller (55 off 23) smashed a quickfire fifty to revive their hopes, but his dismissal proved costly. Despite late sixes from Sai Kishore, DC held their nerve, with Rasikh Salam taking the crucial wicket in the final over to seal the win.
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When Pant was asked about choosing Rasikh for the 19th over, he said that he went with his instincts. “Nortje was having a tough time. T20 is a funny game; after 14–15 overs, the ball was coming on nicely. So we wanted to trust Rasikh; always trust someone who is bowling well in a game. I think it is about instincts as a captain; it will come off sometimes. Happy it worked today,” Pant concluded.
While Delhi Capitals sits in sixth place on the IPL points table, winning four out of the nine matches they have played, they still have a good probability of securing the playoffs if they bag consecutive wins. Nevertheless, Pant and Co. will be next seen facing the Mumbai Indians on April 27th at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Last Updated on April 25, 2024
