Rishabh Pant's return to cricket after a long gap has not been an ideal one so far. Neither his returns with the bat nor the performance of the Delhi Capitals has been up to the mark in the first two matches of IPL 2024. So much so that questions have already started to arise about DC's chances of making it to the playoffs this year.
The disappointment and frustration were evident on Pant's face for the majority of the RR vs DC IPL 2024 match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Thursday. But it came to a boil when the left-hander was dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal after a laborious 26-ball 28 in DC's 186-run chase.
Coming in to bat No.4 after the fall of Ricky Bhui's wicket in the fourth over, Pant started his innings with a booming square cut off RR pacer Nandre Burger but his next four deliveries were dot balls. Pant tried his best to break free against Chahal, hitting IPL's all-time leading wicket-taker for a six in his first over but the DC captain's innings never quite took off.
DC needed 81 runs in 7 overs when Chahal came back to bowl his second over. With the required rate climbing after each ball, Pant had to do something to bring DC's chase back on track. Sensing a big shot from Pant, Chahal bowled a flatter delivery outside off stump. Pant had to wait a bit for the ball to arrive. He went on the back foot to cut it but got an inner edge to keeper Sanju Samson.
{{/usCountry}}DC needed 81 runs in 7 overs when Chahal came back to bowl his second over. With the required rate climbing after each ball, Pant had to do something to bring DC's chase back on track. Sensing a big shot from Pant, Chahal bowled a flatter delivery outside off stump. Pant had to wait a bit for the ball to arrive. He went on the back foot to cut it but got an inner edge to keeper Sanju Samson.
{{/usCountry}}It was a big wicket for RR and an event that tilted the match firmly in their favour. Pant knew it. While walking back to the changeroom, Pant could not hold back his frustration and was seen smashing his bat against a part of the sight screen. Videos of the incident were shared widely on various social media platforms.
Rishabh Pant smashes his bat against the sight screen in RR vs DC IPL 2024 match
Riyan Parag magic takes RR to win; Pant ‘disappointed but looking ahead’
DC could only manage 173 for 5 in 20 overs though South African youngster Tristan Stubbs (44 not out off 23 balls) kept them in the hunt till the final over from which they needed 17 runs.
Avesh Khan conceded just four runs to help RR win their second consecutive match.
South African pacer Nandre Burger and Yuzvendra Chahal took two wickets apiece to also contribute to the RR win.
Earlier, RR were reduced to 36 for 3 in the eighth over but the 22-year-old Parag single-handedly took the home side to 185 for 5 with a magnificent unbeaten knock studded with seven fours and six sixes.
Riyan Parag, who was promoted to number 4 by the team management this season and made 43 in the previous match, took 25 runs off veteran South African pacer Anrich Nortje with scores of 4, 4, 6, 4, 6, 1 in the final over to hit his highest T20 score.
"Definitely disappointed. The best thing to do from here to learn from it. The bowlers did well through the 15-16 overs. But the batters did well at the death, hopefully, we do better in the next game. The platform that Warner-Marsh gave was very nice. We had to save wickets," Pants said after the match.