Rishabh Pant had a night to remember on Wednesday, leading the Delhi Capitals to a dominant victory over the Gujarat Titans in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Pant's all-around performance was key to the Capitals' win. Behind the stumps, his wicketkeeping was top-notch. He was involved in several dismissals, including a diving catch to his left in the fifth over that has gone viral. The dismissal came when David Miller pushed a delivery from Ishant Sharma, the ball taking an inside edge and deflecting awkwardly. Pant, however, was alert and secured the catch.
Another Gujarat Titans batsman, Abhinav Manohar, fell prey to Rishabh Pant's swift wicketkeeping skills.
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He also displayed quick reflexes to dismiss Shahrukh Khan with a stumping behind the wickets. In the ninth over, Tristian Stubbs slightly missed his line, but it turned out to be fortunate as Shahrukh's foot went out of the crease. Pant's excellent stumping sent Shahrukh back to the pavilion.
With the bat, Pant remained unbeaten and steered the Capitals home in just 8.5 overs. The win, with 67 balls remaining, is Delhi's biggest in IPL history in terms of balls remaining. Pant also claimed the Player of the Match award for his leadership and wicketkeeping skills.
Ponting Backs Pant for T20 World Cup Spot
Ahead of the match, Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting expressed his strong support for Pant as India's No. 1 wicketkeeper for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
"Absolutely, I do believe Rishabh should be in the World Cup squad," Ponting told PTI in an exclusive interview. "By the end of the IPL, he deserves to be in that WT20 squad."
Ponting acknowledged the depth in Indian cricket, particularly among wicketkeeper-batters. He mentioned Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and KL Rahul as players in good form. However, he maintained his preference for Pant.
"There are a lot of options, but if I was picking a team, I would have Rishabh Pant in it every day of the week," Ponting concluded.
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