Rishabh Pant brilliance leads Delhi Capitals to a thrilling 4-run victory over Gujarat Titans
In a nail-biting encounter, the Delhi Capitals clinched victory against the Gujarat Titans by a mere four runs in the 40th league match of the ongoing IPL 2024 T20 cricket series. The match, played on April 24, saw a remarkable performance by Delhi’s skipper, Rishabh Pant, who led from the front with an unbeaten 88 runs.
Batting first, the Delhi Capitals set a challenging target of 225 runs for Gujarat, scoring 224/4 in their allotted 20 overs. Pant, in an outstanding display of batting prowess, remained not out at 88, while Axar Patel contributed a crucial 66 runs to the total. Sandeep Warrier was the pick of the bowlers for Gujarat, taking three wickets.
In response, Gujarat’s chase started on a shaky note, losing three early wickets with only 43 runs on the board. However, Rithiman Sakha (39), Sai Sudarsan (66), and David Miller (55) provided some resistance. Unfortunately for Gujarat, captain Shubman Gill (6), Omarzai (1), Shah Rukh Khan (8), and Rahul Diwadia (4) failed to make substantial contributions.
Despite a valiant effort by Rasikh Salam (who took three wickets) and Kuldeep Yadav (who took two wickets), Gujarat fell short of the target, managing 220/8 in their 20 overs.
The turning point of the match came in the last over, bowled by Mohit Sharma, where Rishabh Pant took charge, scoring 30 runs, including two boundaries and three massive sixes. Pant’s exceptional innings not only turned the game in Delhi’s favor but also helped him reclaim his form.
Reflecting on his innings, Pant said, “T20 is a very fun game. After 14-15 overs, the ball came well. So we wanted to put our trust in Rasikh. We always believe in someone who bowls well in a match. That’s why I used him in the 19th over. Things like this come from your instincts as a captain. Glad it worked today.”
Pant further added, “Our plan was to keep playing and attack their main spinners when we were down to 43/3. We followed suit and tried with the belief that we could change the strike. I feel good every day on the field. I like to be on the field every hour and want to contribute 100%. It will take some time. I got confidence when I hit the first six.”
With this victory, the Delhi Capitals strengthen their position on the points table, while Gujarat Lions will look to bounce back stronger in their upcoming matches. Rishabh Pant’s stellar performance not only earned him the Man of the Match award but also underlined his importance to the Delhi Capitals’ campaign in IPL 2024.
