Rishabh Pant's return to form must just be the start of DC's middle-order remontada
Delhi Capitals (DC) finally got back on track after beating the table-toppers Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 20 runs on Sunday, March 31, in Vishakhapatnam.
Although the MS Dhoni mania in the crowd didn't make it look like a DC home game, the Capitals made sure to give their fans a moment to cherish.
One thing that stood out in DC's win was the commendable effort by the top order, which helped them post 191 on the board. The return of Prithvi Shaw and David Warner as the openers worked in the team's favor, as the duo brought back their old mojo on the field.
Warner looked in good touch in the last few games but was at his best this season against the Super Kings. His confidence also led to a paradigm shift in Shaw's approach, who looked composed at the crease after he was dropped in the last game. The duo put together a 93-run stand in less than 10 overs but their dismissals meant DC were hoping for someone to continue the momentum.
At this stage, Rishabh Pant promoted himself up the order and took his sweet time to assess the conditions. On his ninth ball, the southpaw slammed a scintillating six off Ravindra Jadeja through the deep mid-wicket region to announce his arrival.
The double-wicket strike by Matheesha Pathirana didn't deter Pant much, as he was determined with his approach. The DC skipper turned things around when he was at run-a-ball 23 and hammered Mustafizur Rahman in the 18th over.
Pant reminded fans of his older self, as he hit a one-handed sixer to the deep square-leg region. He unleashed his power against Pathirana to hit a six and a four down the ground and displayed his intelligence by securing a boundary towards the deep-backward region.
Although the left-hander was caught in the long-off region, he set DC's tone with a terrific knock of 51 off 32.
Can DC's middle-order repay the faith of team management?
After the top-3 batters, David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, and Rishabh Pant looked in supreme touch on Sunday, the middle order failed to perform yet again for the Delhi Capitals.
Mitchell Marsh opened for the team in the first two games and returned with scores of 20 and 23. Due to the return of Shaw, he was shifted to the middle order, coming at No.4, and he scored 18 off 12.
With Marsh likely to arrive at this position in the upcoming games, the right-handed batter needs to convert his starts into a big innings. Although, the contribution of top-order batters saved the team; when they fail, it will all be on Marsh due to his experience and track record in the T20 format.
South African batter Tristan Stubbs showed glimpses of his talent against RR, scoring 44* off 23, but was bowled on 0 by Pathirana. Stubbs will be responsible for providing a fine flourish to the DC side on most occasions and is a critical member of the team.
His failure will result in the Capitals giving a chance to an exciting young talent, Jake Fraser-McGurk. However, with a little international experience, Stubbs could perform better in crunch moments.
Axar Patel hasn't been able to find a sweet spot with the bat this season, so far. A lot is expected from the southpaw, who has just been striking at 126.47 and holds prime importance for DC to post a big total on the board.
Certainly, Rishabh Pant's return to form should infuse energy into the DC middle-order and help the team keep their momentum going.