The game T20 is funny! Being “Happy it Worked” and Talking “About Instincts as a Captain,” Rishabh Pant

In the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the Delhi Capitals (DC) defeated the Gujarat Titans (GT) by four runs on Wednesday. Captain Rishabh Pant was thrilled to lead the winning team.

After GT won the toss and decided to field first, Pant, who had returned to competitive cricket after his automobile accident in late December, blasted an unbeaten 88 off 43 balls, pushing DC to 224/4. When Pant struck Mohit Sharma for 31 runs in the last over of the DC innings, the GT fast bowler recorded the most costly bowling stats in IPL history (0-73).

“I feel better every day that I’m in the center. I like spending every hour on the field, therefore, it matters. It sometimes takes some time, but I always strive to give it my all. I believe that my confidence in a game is increased by the first six of the match. During the post-match press conference, Pant said, “I feel better the more time I spend in the center.

In his 100th IPL match, GT captain Shubman Gill was removed cheaply after slicing a catch at mid-off off Anrich Nortje’s third delivery. However, impact players Sai Sudharsan (65), and Wriddhiman Saha (39), restored the pursuit with an 82-run second-wicket partnership.

In the middle overs, Delhi rallied thanks to the bowling of spinners Kuldeep Yadav (2/29) and Axar Patel (1/188), but David Miller’s 21-ball half-century turned the tide in favor of GT.

David Miller looked at Mukesh for four after Rashid Khan was dropped by Abishek Porel on the first ball of the eighteenth over, but he clipped straight to deep backward square leg and fell for a 23-ball fifty-five.

Pant went with Rasikh Salam even though Nortje had an over left hand.

After working Rasikh for a boundary and forcing Tristan Stubbs to block a six off him, Rashid needed 37 runs off 12 balls. R Sai Kishore then kept the game alive with back-to-back sixes before being caught by the pacer.

Pant said, “Nortje was having a tough time,” when questioned about his decision to go with Rasikh for the 19th over. T20 is an interesting game; the ball began picking up speed around 14 or 15 overs. Therefore, we wanted to have faith in Rasikh—we should always have faith in someone who bowls well in a match.

With 19 runs needed in the last over, Rashid started by hitting Mukesh for a four in the distance between long-on and mid-wicket. Rashid was ready to cut over extra cover for a boundary as the bowler pitched it wide.

Following two dot balls, Rashid hit a six-figure shot over long off. Rashid struck off a yorker with three runs required from the last ball, but DC kept their nerve to win narrowly. The ball went one bounce to long-off.

“As a captain, I believe it is all about instincts; sometimes, it will show.” Pant was happy that it worked today.