Quickfire half-centuries by Rishabh Pant and Tristan Stubbs were nothing but a footnote as Kolkata Knight Riders demolished Delhi Capitals by 106 runs in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. DC captain Rishabh Pant was disappointed after his side suffered a 106-run defeat to KKR in the IPL 2024 match held in Vizag on Wednesday.
Rishabh Pant addressed the missed review opportunities during Delhi’s significant loss, attributing the confusion to the elevated noise level at the venue.
Opportunities of DRS calls that was missed by Rishabh Pant.
Delhi Capitals had a forgettable night on Wednesday as the side conceded the second-highest total in the Indian Premier League history during the game against Kolkata Knight Riders. After the Knight Riders opted to bat in Visakhapatnam, it was an exhibition in power-hitting from their opener Sunil Narine, who smashed 85 runs in just 39 deliveries; 18-year-old Angkrish Raghuvanshi was also impressive with his 54 in just 27 balls, as the KKR duo smashed the DC attack all around the park.
Interestingly, the Capitals squandered an opportunity to dismiss Narine on just 22 during the fourth over of the game. After the West Indian had smashed Ishant Sharma for two sixes and a four off the first three deliveries of the over, the veteran pacer found an edge that travelled to the wicketkeeper and captain Rishabh Pant. However, Rishabh Pant felt there was no edge and even as Mitchell Marsh pushed him to take the review, the wicketkeeper was late in signaling for the DRS.
Interestingly, that was not the only DRS call that Rishabh Pant missed on Wednesday. KKR captain Shreyas Iyer got a nick off Rasikh Salam Dar’s ball in the 15th over but Rishabh Pant once again said he didn’t hear anything. After that, Iyer hit two sixes off in the next two overs before getting out for 18.
The lack of review, clearly, came to bite the Capitals back for the rest of the innings, and Rishabh Pant was asked about the same during the post-match presentation ceremony.
Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant blames noise vs sensational KKR at Vizag for DRS falters in IPL 2024.
Rishabh Pant addressed the missed review opportunities during Delhi’s significant loss, attributing the confusion to the elevated noise level at the venue. Flustered by his team’s performance, Rishabh Pant particularly highlighted the lackluster showing of their bowlers, lamenting their failure to rise to the occasion on match day, conceding that it was simply one of those off days.
Despite the defeat, Rishabh Pant underscored the importance of unity within the batting unit, advocating for a collective approach towards chasing targets rather than adopting a conservative mindset. The DC captain stated that he couldn’t see the DRS timer on the big screen, and the noise was too loud for him to hear the edge.
“Our bowlers were all over the place. We just didn’t turn up on the day. Today was one of those days. As a batting unit, we only wanted to keep going hard as a team. I would rather get all out as a team than not go for the target. (Some reviews not taken) I think it was quite loud here.
At the same time, couldn’t see the timer on the screen. There was some problem on the screen. But there are some things you can control, some things you can’t,” Pant said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
Regarding the team’s strategy, Rishabh Pant explained the decision to limit the use of spinners like Axar Patel to just one over, attributing it to the fast bowlers’ inability to make an impact. He called for introspection among the players, stressing the need to learn from their mistakes and approach the next match with a positive mindset.
Despite the challenges, Rishabh Pant reassured that he is personally coping well physically and mentally, expressing his enjoyment of being out on the field while acknowledging the unpredictable nature of cricket’s highs and lows.
“(Use of Axar, only one over) See the thought process was that we didn’t want to use spinners but our fast bowlers were going through the motions. I think it is time for reflections as an individual. We need to learn from these mistakes and come positive in the next match. (Pant’s own body) Doing fine. Getting out there. Enjoying every day but cricket has its own ups and downs,” Pant added.
Delhi Capitals now have three losses in four matches; they registered their first win last season against the high-flying Chennai Super Kings, but failed to bank on the momentum against the KKR. The Capitals will now face the struggling Mumbai Indians, who reel at the bottom of the table without a win in three matches. MI faced defeats to the Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Rajasthan Royals in their opening matches of the season and also face additional concerns over the excessive fan anger towards their captain, Hardik Pandya.