Rishabh Pant has firmly established his reputation as a big hitter of the ball since he arrived on the Indian cricket scene. The IPL was a big platform to further this reputation, with the wicketkeeper-batsman playing some crucial knocks for his side Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils) over the years.
Here, we look at five Rishabh Pant knocks that went a long way in making him the batsman he is today, and lit up the IPL in the process.
Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals, March 24 2019, 78* off 27 balls
Pant’s first outing in the 2019 IPL against Mumbai Indians was a full-fledged demonstration of the young wicketkeeper-batsman’s hitting abilities. Walking in to bat at 112 for 3 in the 13th over, Pant launched into the Mumbai bowling attack from the word go, unleashing a torrent of fours and sixes into the Wankhede stands.
Pant reached his 50 in just 18 balls, breaking MS Dhoni’s record for the fastest fifty scored against Mumbai Indians scored in 20 balls. He then batted through the innings, unbeaten on 78 off 27 balls. With the team’s name changed to Delhi Capitals, Pant’s innings was the highlight of the start of a new era for the team, as they went on to win the match by 37 runs.
Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians, May 20 2018, 64 off 44 balls
When Mumbai Indians met Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla in the 2018 IPL, it turned out to be the game which sealed Mumbai Indians’ position in the table, unable to finish in the top 4 after an away loss.
In the end, Pant’s first innings knock of 64 off 44 balls turned out to be pivotal as Mumbai Indians went down by 11 runs. He started his stay at the crease with a punch through the covers for four and didn’t look back. Mustafizur Rahman, Hardik Pandya and Mayank Markande were taken to the cleaners, with Pant being particularly innovative off Pandya’s bowling with a six over fine leg.
The crowd also got a glimpse of the now increasingly-used one handed Pant six. When he arrived at the crease, the score read 38/2, and it was 139/4 upon his departure. The innings, with a strike rate of 145.45 proved to be pivotal in the end.
Delhi Daredevils vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, May 10 2018, 128* off 63 balls
Pant’s first and only IPL century came against Sunrisers Hyderabad in last season’s IPL, when his unbeaten knock of 128* took his team 187/5 in the first innings.
While Pant’s 50 came in 36 balls, the next 73 runs came in just 27 balls as he gave the phrase ‘leather-hunt’ a new definition. Not a single ball was spared, and 15 fours and 7 sixes were hit en-route. At that point, Pant had an strike-rate 240 each time he crossed a 50, and one could see why. By the time he was done with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and co, the SRH fielders looked relieved that the carnage was finally over.
Unfortunately for Pant, the SRH batsmen were in an equally ruthless mood as they chased down the target with 7 balls to spare, making Pant’s score the highest in the IPL in a losing cause. However, it is still remembered as one of the best centuries the IPL has seen since its inception.
RCB vs Delhi Daredevils, April 21 2018, 85 off 48 balls
Another knock from the 2018 season of the IPL where he ended the season as Delhi Daredevils’ highest run-scorer, Rishabh Pant gave the Bangalore crowd a taste of fireworks coming from the bat of someone not named Kohli or Gayle, for once.
Batting first, Daredevils were two down in the sixth over when Pant walked in. And once again, he started his innings with a boundary, with Indian team compatriot Yuzvendra Chahal at the receiving end. Pant demonstrated his range of hitting against spinners like Chahal and Washington Sundar, with deft cuts and reverse sweeps in abundance.
Sure, his usual bludgeoning was also on display, but this was a knock which reaffirmed Pant’s growing reputation as a batsman that could be relied upon to take the team’s innings forward at a rapid pace. He ended with more sixes (7) than fours (6), another hallmark of Pant’s innings’ and helped his team to a total of 174/5.
It’s a different matter that AB de Villiers’ 90 off 39 balls in the chase helped RCB to the total with two overs remaining, but this innings was one of the most important in Pant’s growing IPL career.
Gujarat Lions vs Delhi Daredevils, May 4 2017, 97 off 43 balls
Pant’s innings of 97 off 43 balls in a successful run chase of 209 for the Delhi Daredevils against Gujarat Lions heralded his arrival in many ways. India knew then, that they had a serious player on their hands who had the ability to absorb pressure and take the attack to the bowlers.
Coming in to bat at number three with the score at 24/1 in 2.5 overs, Pant started with a first-ball six over the covers off Basil Thampi’s bowling. But it was Pradeep Sangwan who bore the brunt of Pant’s assault, being hit for three sixes in a row at one point to different sides of the ground. He kept his focus throughout the innings and should have reached a deserved 100, but was caught on 97.
But by the time Pant was done, the required run-rate was below 6 an over. Job done, you would say. And his desire carry on hitting the ball out of the park, even when a personal milestone was looming was Sehwag-esque. The comparisons made between the Indian legend and Pant gained slightly more legitimacy that day. Nine sixes, six fours and a strike rate of 225.58 – enough said.
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