DC captain Rishabh Pant was joyful as Delhi stayed in the race for the IPL play-offs with a thrilling 10-run victory over MI in Saturday’s match of IPL 2024. McGurk showed his power-hitting ability in the scorching heat in Delhi, hitting a whopping 84 off just 27 balls. His explosive innings took DC to an impressive total of 257 for four despite being the first to bat. Chasing 258, Tilak Varma’s bouncy 63 and Hardik Pandya’s aggressive 46 gave ME a ray of hope. However, Delhi’s ruthless bowling attack, led by Rasikh Salam, who claimed a bowling rate of 3/34, consistently tore through the MI defense, restricting them to 247 for 9. With this victoryDC climbed to fifth place in the rankings while MI continued to lose its 9th position.
Pant reflected on the challenges posed by the player impact rule in cricket, especially in the context of a competitive game where even a good score of over 250 may not be enough. Expressing the intricacies of his role as a wicketkeeper, he stressed the importance of adapting strategies such as getting to the stumps, especially for players who bowl full and wide. Despite the difficulties, Pant stressed the need for such tactics to keep the batter at the crease. His confirmation of a successful execution against such a formidable opponent as David demonstrated the tactical awareness and adaptability that are crucial to success in the contemporary game.
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“We were quite joyful that the score was over 250. But with the impact player rule coming into force, every pass in the match becomes challenging. I can definitely do it (keeper walks to the stumps). Shepherds bowl the full ball, it’s a bit challenging but you have to do it to keep the batsmen in the crease. The bowler should also be confident, but with a batsman like David he was coming down and today he did it,” Rishabh Pant said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Pant also praised Fraser-McGurk’s performance, appreciating the teenage player’s continuous improvement and his contribution to the team’s prospects. His focus on taking each day and match as it comes, without getting ahead of himself, reflected a grounded approach to achieving success.
“Fraser-McGurk has been amazing from day one and that’s what you expect from a younger player; he gets better and better with every match. Our chances are increasing day by day. We’re just taking one day and one match at a time. I’m not thinking too far ahead,” Pant added.
