'He's sensible enough to analyze. Bring in Ponting and ask for honest feedback': Ex-ENG leader on Pant's captaincy error

Kuldeep on Thursday bowled the 14th over against Kolkata Knight Riders, following which Pant gave two more overs to Lalit Yadav before turning to fast bowlers.

Kuldeep Yadav's game-changing four-fer and vital runs from David Warner and Rovman Powell helped Delhi Capitals record a comfortable four-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium. It was Delhi's fifth win of the season that helped them stay alive in the playoffs race. While Kuldeep took home the ‘Player of the Match’ trophy for taking four wickets and conceding just 14 runs, many were baffled by captain Rishabh Pant's decision to not give a fourth over to his chinaman bowler. (Follow IPL 2022 Coverage)

Delhi Capitals Rishabh Pant appeals for the dismissal of Kolkata Knight Riders Shreyas Iyer (ANI)

Rishabh, 24, has received flak over poor shot selection in the past and many have started questioning his tactical acumen as well. He also bore the brunt of his livid reaction to the no-ball episode in the game against the Rajasthan Royals. He even called batters Kuldeep and Powell back, while assistant coach Shane Watson tried to reason him out in the dugout.

Against the Kolkata outfit, Pant didn't utilize Chetan Sakariya as well. The left-arm pacer bowled just three overs while conceding just 17 runs.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan underlined Pant's captaincy errors after the game and said the Delhi skipper needs honest feedback about the mistakes. He asked the young wicketkeeper, who is still in his formative phase of leadership, to turn to head coach Ricky Ponting

"I hear that expression all the time (about a captain's innings). It shouldn't be a captain's innings but just an innings... an innings that the game requires you to play at that particular moment. He (Pant) owed his team an innings with the way he captained. I'm not going to keep picking on him but he's a young captain who needs to learn.

"Yes, you win, you celebrate and talk to your team because you have got those two points. But I hope he is sensible enough to analyze and go into his room, and bring Ricky Ponting in and some other coaches to ask for honest feedback," Vaughan told Cricbuzz.

"It's the way you learn as a captain. It's not being aggressive to Rishabh and telling him 'You must do this' but really good captains at their infancy stages ask for advice for their tactics. He (Pant) isn't getting the right information if one of them at least doesn't sit with him and say, 'Rishabh you've got that wrong'. He had a chance to get his team over the line but didn't manage to do that either. Not a great night for Rishabh but he got the two points," he further added.

In the post-match presentation, Pant justified his decision to not present Kuldeep with another over by saying, “I thought we would give him (Kuldeep) his final over from the other end but then the ball kept getting wet and I also wanted to change the pace, that's why I brought the fast bowlers in but it didn't work."

Kuldeep bowled the 14th over, following which Pant gave two more overs to Lalit Yadav before turning to fast bowlers.