NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals' skipper
Rishabh Pant
expressed his joy at being back on the cricket field after his impressive unbeaten 88 off 43 balls in DC's narrow 4-run victory against Gujarat Titans on Wednesday evening.
Delhi Capitals were struggling at 44 for 3 when Pant partnered with
Axar Patel
, who made the most of his promotion to number three by smashing five fours and four sixes in his impressive knock at a strike rate of 153.49.
Pant, who had a shaky start in his previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, was at his brilliant best, hitting eight sixes and five fours at an impressive strike rate of 204.6.
The duo's 113-run partnership in just 68 deliveries propelled Delhi to a formidable total of 224 for 4 in their allotted 20 overs. Pant emphasized the importance of spending time in the middle and how it helps him regain his dominant form.
"Every day that I'm in the middle, I feel better. Every hour on the field matters, I love being on the field. I try to give it my 100% and it takes some time sometimes. I think the first six in the match gives me confidence in a game. The more time I spend in the centre, the better I feel," Pant said after the match.
Pant's wicket-keeping skills were also on display as he made crucial decisions to guide his team in defending their total of 224 runs. Despite the early dismissal of Shubman Gill, Gujarat Titans put up a strong fight with fifties from Sai Sudharsan and David Miller, along with significant contributions from
Wriddhiman Saha
,
Rashid Khan
, and Sai Kishore.
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When asked about his decision to give the inexperienced
Rasikh Salam
the responsibility of bowling the penultimate over instead of the seasoned Anrich Nortje, Pant explained, "Nortje was having a tough time. T20 is a funny game, after 14-15 overs the ball was coming on nicely. So we wanted to trust Rasikh, always trust someone who is bowling well in a game. I think it is about instincts as a captain, it will come off sometimes. Happy it worked today."
(Inputs from ANI)