News Analysis India

Tag: Rishabh Pant

  • IPL preview: Can ‘Pant Power’ help DC overcome wily Rashid on slow Chepauk 

    By PTI
    CHENNAI: Rishabh Pant’s brute power will be put to test against Rashid Khan’s bagful of tricks in an IPL encounter where Delhi Capitals will start as favourites against SunRisers Hyderabad due to their better bowling resources.

    The much-criticised Chepauk track will host its 10th and final IPL game of the season in which both Pant and his opposite number David Warner would pray for a decent surface for their flamboyant batters.

    With only a couple of first innings total in excess of 170 across nine games here, the slow and gripping surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium tests the skills of the batsmen in a different manner.

    Possibly, it’s the ability to muscle the ball that will come in handy on this track and hence the DC skipper’s role as a batsman will become all the more important.

    While Shikhar Dhawan is in good form and Prithvi Shaw in not so great touch after the first game, the willow-wielders, who depend on sheer timing compared to power may struggle.

    In fact, Hyderabad, after playing all its four games in Chennai, has only now started to crack the code of a slow track, evident during the team’s comfortable victory over Punjab Kings after a hat-trick of defeats.

    With Kane Williamson back in the mix, SunRisers seemed to have got a better balance in a set-up which is acutely short of quality India internationals.

    With T Natarajan’s death bowling unavailable for this season and Manish Pandey only able to manage a strike-rate of 112 odd, bulk of the responsibility is on overseas recruits Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Williamson and Rashid.

    The wily Afghan has again been very consistent and his duel with Pant could be one of the most eagerly-awaited match-ups that can send the TRPs soaring.

    SRH’s weak link is certainly its bowling attack with none among Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul or all-rounder Vijay Shankar inspiring any sort of confidence whatsoever.

    So DC will have 12 overs out of 20 on which they can feast upon if one takes away the eight bowled by Rashid and the seasoned Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

    However, a bit of tweak in their XI also won’t be bad even though they had comfortably beaten Mumbai Indians in a low-scoring game here only a few days back.

    One area of slight concern will be Ashwin’s form as he has been going at 8 runs per over in the past four games and only a single wicket to show for his efforts.

    The Chepauk track could just give him some breathing space after mostly flat decks in Mumbai.

    Similarly, Pant would also like to check out if Chris Woakes is a better option with his pace and also some all-round skills in place of Kagiso Rabada, who has been off colour till now.

    Veterans Ajinkya Rahane and Ishant Sharma, however cruel it may seem, are expected to warm the benches unless both Lalit Yadav and Avesh Khan sustain a last-minute niggle.

    For SunRisers, how Trevor Bayliss and VVS Laxman set up the batting order will be important.

    Kedar Jadhav is well past his prime but still could be way more effective than any of the youngsters, who haven’t delivered this season.

    Teams (from): Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings.

    Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner (c), Kane Williamson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Manish Pandey, Sreevats Goswami (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Priyam Garg, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Virat Singh, Jason Holder, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, Jagadeesha Suchith, Kedar Jadhav, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman.

    Match Starts at 7:30 pm.

  • With Ricky Ponting around, my captaincy is going great: Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: After registering a six-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant gave an insight into his leadership style and how he has benefitted from having Ricky Ponting as the head coach.

    Leg-spinner Amit Mishra spun a web over Mumbai Indians before Shikhar Dhawan and Steve Smith played knocks of 45 and 33 respectively as Delhi Capitals registered a win here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday. Mishra had picked four wickets to help Delhi Capitals restrict Mumbai Indians to 137/9.

    “I think, yes, as a wicketkeeper I keep on reading the game and it helps me a lot. With seniors around and Ricky Ponting in our management, I think my captaincy is going great,” said Rishabh while replying to an ANI query during a virtual press conference.

    Delhi played its first three games in Mumbai and then the side has moved to Chennai to play its next set of matches. When asked about the difficulty of travelling in such times, Pant said: “I think it’s slightly challenging because of Covid. But as a team, we are not focusing on outside things. BCCI has done really well to give us a good bubble and travelling thing. We are focusing more on cricket.”

    Delhi Capitals needed 15 runs in the last two overs and Shimron Hetmyer and Lalit Yadav ensured the side didn’t falter at the end. Moreover, Jasprit Bumrah’s two no-balls in the penultimate over made the job a lot easier for the batsmen.

    “As a player, you do not focus much on match-ups. Every day is a new day, I had to go for my shots because we were chasing, so you need to focus more on scenarios as compared to matchups,” said Pant.

    “We were thinking to bat first also so I do not think Rohit’s decision to bat first was a bad one,” he added.

    Mumbai Indians were cruising towards a mammoth total having scored 55 runs in the first six overs against Delhi but Mishra wreaked havoc and dismantled the batting order removing Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, and Ishan Kishan.

  • Rishabh Pant is like Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson, brilliant bloke to have in your team: Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting

    Rishabh Pant was given the charge of Delhi Capitals as regular skipper Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of IPL 2021 due to a shoulder injury.

  • Rishabh Pant has grown in last four months, he will do a good job as Delhi Capitals captain: Brian Lara

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Former West Indies skipper Brian Lara reckons wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has improved a lot in the last four months and as a result, he will do a good job as the skipper of Delhi Capitals.

    Pant was given the charge of Delhi Capitals as regular skipper Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of IPL 2021 due to a shoulder injury.

    “Around 6 months of international cricket for him, one against Australia and here against England. Now he is responsible for the captaincy because of injury. Plus, he doesn’t have the services of Nortje, Rabada, and Axar Patel. So, they are asking a lot of him. I think he has got a team that will support him which is most important. He has grown in the last 4 months and I think he will do a good job,” said Lara on Star Sports’ show ‘Select Dugout’.

    Pant has been in remarkable form off late as he gave match-winning performances in the series against Australia and England. The left-handed batsman also scored a stunning ton against England in the fourth Test against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

    In his first match as in-charge of Delhi Capitals, Pant saw a winning performance as his side defeated MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings by seven wickets here at the Wankhede Stadium.

    Delhi Capitals chased down a target of 188 as Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan set the stage on fire with their stunning opening partnership.

    Delhi Capitals will next take on Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

  • Delhi Capitals batsman Shikhar Dhawan impressed by Rishabh Pant’s calmness on captaincy debut

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Delhi Capitals experienced opener Shikhar Dhawan was mighty impressed with Rishabh Pant’s leadership qualities, saying the youngster led the team in a calm and composed manner in his first match as captain and will only get better with time.

    Pant was thrust into captaincy after regular skipper Shreyas Iyer sustained a shoulder injury during the recent ODI series against England and was ruled out of the tournament.

    The 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman made a memorable start to his captaincy stint as he led DC to a convincing seven-wicket win over three-time champions Chennai Super Kings in their opening match of the IPL 2021 here on Saturday.

    “He (Rishabh Pant) did quite well. First of all, glad that he won the toss. It was a bit of a sticky wicket, so it was good for us to bat second. He kept his calm and kept on motivating the boys,” Dhawan said during the post-match press conference.

    “He made good changes as well. It was his first match (as captain), so I am sure it is only going to get refined from here. He has just started and with experience, I am sure, he is only going to get better.

    “The best thing about Rishabh Pant is that he stays calm. His presence of mind is quite there, which is very very good.”

    Asked if he gives his advice to Pant as a senior player, Dhawan said: “…of course, I give my advice to him. The youngsters, whenever they come to me to ask for batting tips or mindset things, I always share my knowledge with them.”

    Dhawan smashed a 54-ball 85 studded with 10 fours and two maximums and alongwith Prithvi Shaw (72) shared a 138-run opening stand as Delhi chased down 189 with eight balls to spare.

    Asked about his sweep shots against the pacers, Dhawan said: “I started practising it at the nets and then introduced it in the game. We have to play according to the field set. I knew Chennai keeps square leg and fine leg inside the 30-yard circle and keep covers behind for me.

    “I knew their bowling plans, that they will bowl more yorkers to me. So just tried to use their pace and put the ball over the square leg.”

    Dhawan was dropped after the first T20I against England in the recent-concluded series but made a comeback in the ODIs, scoring 98 and 67 in the first and third games.

    Asked if he had made changes in his approach, Dhawan said: “There is no change in my approach or anything. I have been playing like this for a long time now. If you have watched me batting last IPL or even before that I have batted with a good strike-rate.

    “I am happy how I am going, been much more consistent and of course I will look to improve where ever I can and I am enjoying my game.

    “I’m refining my skills and playing aggressive cricket and I will continue with this mindset and you will see me playing with the same way and this version of the game demands that,” he added.

    The 35-year-old said the team will look to carry the momentum in the coming matches.

    “I am happy it was a good performance. It was a good start for us, the whole team did well, Prithvi batted well and bowlers bowled well. Now we have to keep refining it and maintain it, that is the aim,” he said.

    Delhi will next play Rajasthan Royals on April 15 in Mumbai.

  • IPL 2021 SWOT analysis: All eyes on skipper Rishabh Pant as 2020 runners-up Delhi Capitals look to go one up

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Thrust into the leadership role, a completely transformed Rishabh Pant carries a lot of hope and responsibility on his shoulders as Delhi Capitals aim to build on the success of the last edition in the UAE, where they ended runners-up.

    A solid batting line-up coupled with a potent pace attack makes DC strong contenders this year too.

    Pant was handed captaincy a week back after Shreyas Iyer was forced out following a shoulder injury, sustained during the ODI series against England last month.

    Delhi Capitals have grown from strength to strength as they finished second runners up in the 2019 before reaching summit clash last year.

    Here is a look at the team which will begin its campaign against Chennai Super Kings in Mumbai on April 10.

    STRENGTHS:

    They are one of the most balanced sides in the tournament with a formidable batting line-up and a potent pace attack.

    In Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane, Delhi boast of a solid top order.

    Pant along with Marcus Stoinis and Shimron Hetmyer or Sam Billings will look to fill the hole left by Iyer in the middle order.

    The addition of Steve Smith will further bolster their batting.

    Dhawan (618) was the second highest run-scorer in 2020 and looked in good touch in the recent ODI series against England with scores of 98 and 67.

    Shaw too will be itching to prove his worth after amassing 827 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy following his ouster from the Australia Test series and a dismal last season.

    Pant has emerged as a match-winner for India in the recent series against Australia and England.

    He along with all-rounder Stoinis and Billings will have to ensure that DC finish with a flourish.

    On the bowling front, South African pace duo of Kagiso Rabada (2020 purple cap winner) and Anrich Nortje has proved to a dream pair, having scalped 52 wickets together in 2020.

    With Chris Woakes also in the mix this time and Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav also in the ranks, Delhi have options in their pace battery.

    WEAKNESS:

    Delhi’s primary weakness is not having enough quality players in their ranks both overseas and home cricketers.

    Not having like-for-like replacements is one of the weak points.

    It was precisely the reason they were not able to rest Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje.

    Even in terms of wicket-keeping, in case Pant has a niggle they didn’t have replacement.

    This year they have Vishnu Vinod of Kerala but he is a green horn.

    Also the Indian fast bowling is pretty weak as their two premier fast bowlers Ishant and Umesh don’t play much white ball cricket for the national team now.

    OPPORTUNITIES:

    Although a big challenge, but it will also be a huge opportunity for young skipper Pant to step out of the shadows of the legendary MS Dhoni by guiding his team to its maiden title.

    The league also provides Pant the opportunity to prepare for the T20 World Cup, where he will be a vital cog in India’s batting line-up.

    Dhawan too will look to seal the opening slot, while it is also a chance for R Ashwin and Axar Patel to prepare for the ICC event.

    THREAT:

    Pant has displayed resilience and understanding in his short career thus far but he will have to ensure that the added leadership responsibility doesn’t affect his natural attacking instinct as a batsman.

    Also DC’s pace unit is too dependent on Rabada and Nortje with back-up pacers Ishant and Umesh not boasting of a great T20 record.

    Last year, Delhi suffered four successive losses after seven wins in first nine games, jeopardising their play-off chances.

    They need to be wary of such a slump and avoid collapses like last year.

    The Squad: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant , Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings.

  • Rishabh Pant named Delhi Capitals captain for IPL 2021

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Star India batsman Rishabh Pant was on Tuesday named captain of Delhi Capitals in place of an injured Shreyas Iyer for the upcoming Indian Premier League season beginning on April 9.

    Iyer has been ruled out of the IPL after injuring his left shoulder during the recently-concluded India-England ODI series.

    “Under Shreyas’ captaincy, our team reached newer heights, and he is going to be missed immensely. In his absence, the franchise has collectively picked Rishabh to lead the team this year,” DC Chairman and co-owner Kiran Kumar Gandhi said in a release.

    “While it has come under unfortunate circumstances, it is a tremendous opportunity for him to grow further. I wish him all the best in his new role.”

    This will be 23-year-old Pant’s debut as IPL captain.

    The wicketkeeper-batsman has captained Delhi’s state team in the past.

    “Delhi is where I grew up, and where my IPL journey began six years ago. To lead this team one day is a dream I’ve always harboured. And today, as that dream comes true, I feel humbled,” Pant said.

    “I am truly grateful, especially to our team owners, who considered me capable enough for this role. With an amazing coaching staff, and a plethora of accomplished seniors around me, I can’t wait to give my absolute best for Delhi Capitals.”

    Pant was one of the architects of India’s historic 2-1 Test series win in Australia in January.

    He then played a big role in India’s 3-1 Test series win against England, scoring 270 runs from six innings with the help of a century.

    Pant also returned to India’s white-ball team against England.

    After a decent outing in the T20 Internationals, he was in cracking form in the ODI series, hitting 77 and 78 in the two matches he played.

    Iyer described Pant as the best player to lead the Delhi side.

    “When I sustained the shoulder injury, and Delhi Capitals needed a leader for this edition of the IPL, I had no doubt that Rishabh would be the best man for the job,” he said.

    “He has all my good wishes to make amazing things happen with our absolutely incredible team. I’m going to miss the team tremendously, and will be cheering for them throughout.”

    Head coach Ricky Ponting said Pant’s success in the series against Australia and England will give him the confidence needed to take on the new role.

    “This is a tremendous opportunity for young Rishabh, who is coming off successful stints against Australia and England which will no doubt give him the confidence needed to take on a new role that comes with a lot more responsibility,” the former Australian captain said.

    “The coaching group is excited to work with him, and we can’t wait for the season to get started.”

    Co-owner Parth Jindal said Pant embodies DC’s passionate and fearless brand of cricket.

    “There is no doubt that Shreyas Iyer’s leadership and batting will be missed this year, and we hope to see him back on the field soon,” Jindal said.

    “Delhi Capitals as a team plays a passionate and fearless brand of cricket, and Rishabh Pant embodies that best. The Delhi team has played an important role in his growth as a cricketer, just like he has played an equally important role in the growth of the Delhi team.”

    The Delhi Capitals will take on Chennai Super Kings in their first match of the IPL 2021 season, at the Wankhede Stadium, on April 10.

    Delhi Capitals finished as runners-up in the last edition of the IPL, losing to Mumbai Indians in the final.