Why Pant was fearless in big run chase
The 19yearold Delhi Daredevils batsman says he jest went on hitting without thinking if he would get out
Rishabh Pant displayed his brilliance at a vital time as his 97 off 43 balls, combined with his 143-run stand with Sanju Samson for the second wicket, helped Delhi Daredevils win by seven wickets chasing Gujarat Lions’s target of 209 on Thursday.
Pant’s knock not only helped Delhi Daredevils achieve their highest successful chase in the IPL, but they knocked Gujarat Lions out of the play-off race.
The left-hander though missed out on a well-deserved ton.
The disappointment was evident as he trudged off but speaking in the post-match press conference, Pant said he was not thinking about the century. “I was not thinking about those three runs, I just wanted to ensure that we chased down the total down quickly,” Pant said.
Speaking on his knock, Pant said that he wanted to play his normal game. “If I see the ball, I will just hit. I was not thinking whether I will get out. If the ball is bad, I will punish it,” the lefthander said.
Pant has been promoted up the order in the last couple of games and this has helped him. “I was batting lower down in some games. I was coming to bat after 15 overs. Now, I have full time to settle and play my normal shots,” he added.
PITCH MUCH BETTER
In both games played at the Feroz Shah Kotla in May, Delhi Daredevils have chased down 186 and now 209. The Delhi youngster said the pitch used in this match was much better but it was good bowling at the death which restricted Gujarat Lions.
“Pitch was on better side. They (Gujarat Lions) also scored plenty of runs. We stopped them from scoring more towards the end,” Pant added.
In between overs 15 and 19 of the Gujarat Lions innings, Delhi Daredevils conceded just 33 runs, having taken the wickets of the well-set Suresh Raina (77) and Dinesh Karthik (65).
With Gujarat Lions out of the play-off race, Delhi Daredevils will be hoping to continue their push for the play-offs as they take on table-toppers Mumbai Indians in their next match.