Rishabh Pant Birthday Special: 128 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad and Other Jaw-Dropping Knocks by Delhi Capitals Star in IPL
Rishabh Pant made his IPL debut in 2016 and didn’t take long in making a mark. Playing for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), the youngster played several sensational knocks and impressed one and all. He continued his stellar show in 2017, but it was the 2018 season, which made the southpaw a hot property in World cricket.
One of the rising stars of World cricket, Rishabh Pant celebrates his 23rd birthday on Sunday. Born on October 4, 1997, the wicket-keeper batsman has destroyed many potent bowling line-ups in his short career so far and will want to enhance his abilities even further. Pant likes to take on the bowlers from the outset, and his wide range of shots makes him a force to reckon with. Though the left-handed batsman has face criticism for not performing consistently, he’s expected to get better with time. The dasher has also played several staggering knocks in the Indian Premier League (IPL) where he represents Delhi Capitals. Rishabh Pant & Prithvi Shaw Mess Around With Each Other After Practice Session.
Pant made his IPL debut in 2016 and didn’t take long in making a mark. Playing for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), the youngster played several sensational knocks and impressed one and all. He continued his stellar show in 2017, but it was the 2018 season, which made the southpaw a hot property in World cricket. Despite Delhi’s dismal performance, Pant performed consistently and amassed 692 runs in 14 matches, second-most for any non-opener in the tournament’s history. Meanwhile, as the swashbuckler turns a year older, let’s look at some of his best knocks in IPL. Rishabh Pant Plays Brilliant Reverse Ramp Shot Off Ishant Sharma.
97 vs Gujarat Lions In IPL 2017
Chasing a mountain of 209 runs against the now-defunct Gujarat Lions, Delhi Daredevils lost opener Karun Nair cheaply and were on the back foot. However, Pant came in at number three and changed the complexion of the game. He attacked the likes of James Faulkner and Ravindra Jadeja from the outset as the ball was travelling in the stands at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Though the young gun missed his century by three runs, his 97-run knock off 43 balls guided Delhi to an emphatic seven-wicket triumph.
128 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018
As mentioned earlier, Pant was Delhi’s one-man army in IPL 2018, and his mayhem against SRH is another proof of the fact. Batting first in Delhi, the home team lost three quick wickets and Hyderabad had the command. Regardless of the critical situation, Pant backed his natural game and went berserk. He put up a display of high-class batting and tore the potent Hyderabad bowling line-up apart. The southpaw went on to score 128 runs off 63 deliveries, and DC powered to 187/5. His efforts, however, went in vain as the Orange Army won the game by nine wickets.
69 vs Rajasthan Royals in 2018
Another Rishabh Pant special from IPL 2018 came against Rajasthan Royals in Delhi. Coming out to bat in the eighth over, the dasher didn’t take long in settling his feet and did what he’s known for doing. i.e. smashing the bowlers out of the park. From Jofra Archer to Jaydev Unadkat, Pant took every bowler to the cleaners and scored 69 runs off mere 29 deliveries. Riding on his effort, Delhi posted 196/6 while batting first and went on to win the game by four runs via Duckworth Lewis System.
78 vs Mumbai Indians in 2019
Delhi Capitals started their IPL 2019 campaign in style thanks to a stellar knock from Rishabh Pant. Batting first at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, the swashbuckler came out to bat in the 13th over and took the MI bowlers by storm. Pant scored runs all over the park as opposition captain Rohit Sharma looked utterly clueless. In fact, Jasprit Bumrah also had to face the wrath of Pant. In total, the young gun scored 78 off just 28 balls as DC powered to 213/6. Mumbai tried to make a fightback while chasing but lost the game by 37 runs.
Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals have made an impressive start to IPL and are looking determined to get their maiden title. Pant has also played a couple of handy knocks, but his best in the gala tournament is yet to come. The talent wicket-keeper batsman will next take the field when DC takes on Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore on October 5 (Monday) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 04, 2020 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).