IPL 2021: “RCB got 10-15 extra runs on this wicket” – DC captain Rishabh Pant
Delhi Capitals’ (DC) skipper Rishabh Pant lamented giving away 10-15 extra runs to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) after his side’s one-run defeat in IPL 2021 at Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Marcus Stoinis bowled the last over of the RCB innings and AB de Villiers plundered 23 runs off it. It seemed like a miscalculation on Rishabh Pant’s end in using the bowlers, but the DC skipper clarified the decision was taken because the spinners weren’t getting assistance from the surface.
“Obviously feeling disappointed, especially when you are on the losing side. They got 10-15 extra runs on this wicket.
“We counted the overs really well; in the end, the spinners weren’t getting the help which we thought they might get. In the end, I had to give the ball to Stoinis,” said Rishabh Pant in the post-match presentation.
DC had RCB at 60 for three in the ninth over when AB de Villiers walked in to bat. The South African slammed a 42-ball 75 not out to help RCB to 171.
Shimron Hetmyer played a brilliant innings: Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant (58 runs off 48 balls) added an unbeaten 78-run stand from 44 balls for the fifth wicket with Shimron Hetmyer (53 runs off 25 balls). The DC skipper wasn’t at his fluent best and carried on with a run-a-ball for most of the innings.
However, his West Indian teammate showed more urgency and brought the side into the contest and brought down the equation to 25 runs off the last two overs.
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Had Hetmyer farmed more strike towards the end, the result could have gone in DC’s favour. With six required to win off the final ball, Rishabh Pant managed a four.
Praising his teammate, Rishabh Pant said:
“Hetty (Hetmyer) played a brilliant innings; because of him, we got close to the target. In the last over, we thought whoever gets the ball has to finish the job for the team. That’s what we were planning. In the end, we were one run short.
“It’s good to take positives from all the matches. As a young team, we like to learn from each and every game and want to improve each and every day.”
Placed third in the IPL 2021 points table after bagging four wins and two losses, DC will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their next match at Ahmedabad on Thursday.