NEW DELHI: Former Indian opener
Virender Sehwag
, who is known for his forthright comments, could not stop himself from bashing Delhi Capitals skipper
Rishabh Pant
's batting approach against the Kolkata Knight Riders in
Visakhapatnam
on Wednesday night, stating that he should have spent more time in the middle instead of throwing his wicket.
In a valiant effort, Pant showcased his prowess with the bat, notching his second consecutive half-century in the match.
Additionally,
Tristan Stubbs
made a significant contribution with a well-earned fifty of his own.
Pant and Stubbs stitched a 93-run partnership, and even though they managed to score quickly, the required run rate jumped to over 20 runs per over, and there was only one result possible.
However, despite their commendable performances, the Delhi Capitals (DC) faced a disappointing defeat as they succumbed to a total of 166 runs in 17.2 overs while chasing a mammoth target of 273. This defeat marked their third loss of the season, highlighting the challenges they encountered in their quest for victory.
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According to Sehwag, Pant's innings should have been prolonged, urging him to bat until the end of the innings and convert his fifty into a century. Sehwag's perspective likely emphasises the importance of anchoring the innings.
“Yes, Pant's innings was good. But you didn't score much in the first two games, and now, when you're scoring runs, you are giving your wicket away. You should have stayed, reached a century, and remained unbeaten on 110 or 120. Because runs dry pretty fast,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz while talking about Pant's batting
Elaborating further, Sehwag pointed out that Pant could have played a little extra to get some practice as the outcome of the match was more or less predictable before the first over of the Delhi innings.
“His batting was good, he has come back to form and is scoring at a brilliant strike rate. ‘Aaj vaise bhi pehle over se pata tha ki haarne waale hain, jeetenge toh nahi’ (Today, we knew from the very first over that they weren't going to win). This was the time to do some batting practice. Instead of going to nets now, you could've played 20 extra deliveries here. Then you could've probably skipped practice overall and returned in the next match straightaway,” Sehwag added.
Pant's return to cricketing action in the IPL marked a remarkable comeback after enduring a harrowing near-fatal car accident in December 2022. Despite being absent from the game for over a year as he focused on recovery. His stellar performance not only demonstrated his exceptional cricketing skills but also served as a testament to his determination and grit in overcoming adversity.
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