Gujarat Titans’ Sai Sudharsan plays a shot during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, on April 24, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Rishabh Pant dazzled with an unbeaten 88 as Delhi Capitals defeated Gujarat Titans by four runs in the Indian Premier League here on Wednesday.

Invited to bat, Pant (88 not out of 43 balls) and Axar Patel (66 off 43 balls) scored contrasting fifties to power Delhi Capitals to 224 for 4.

In reply, Sai Sudarshan (65 off 29 ) and David Miller (55 off 23) scored fifties but couldn’t take GT over the line, finishing at 220 for 8 in their 20 overs.

Earlier, Axar and Pant stitched a 113-run partnership to steady the innings after medium pacer Sandeep Warrier (3/15) ran through the top three.

Skipper Pant was in his element scoring as many as eight maximums and five fours. Tristan Stubbs blazed away to 26 off 7 balls.

Brief Score:

Delhi Capitals: 224 for 4 in 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 88 not out, Axar Patel 66; Sandeep Warrier 3/15)

Gujarat Titans: 220 for 8 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 65, David Miller 55; Rasikh Dar 3/44)

Teams:

Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha (w), Shubman Gill (c), David Miller, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Noor Ahmad, Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Warrier.

Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, Shai Hope, Rishabh Pant (w/c), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar.

Delhi Capitals batter Rishabh Pant plays a shot during the IPL 2024 match against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, on April 17, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen feels Rishabh Pant and the Indian team management should feel very encouraged by the comeback-man’s mobility in the IPL game against Gujarat Titans here as the T20 World Cup draws closer.

Pant grabbed two catches, effected a stumping and then played a 16-run cameo in Delhi Capitals’ six-wicket triumph over Gujarat Titans here on Wednesday. He was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’ based purely on his keeping skills, a first in IPL since Dinesh Karthik won one in 2009 edition in South Africa.

Pant is the top contender for the wicketkeeper’s slot in the Indian squad that will be chosen for the showpiece in June.

“His mobility was something that will give him great encouragement, which will also encourage Team India. Of course, he needs game time, as everyone does when coming back from an injury,” Pietersen said on ‘Star Sports Cricket Live’.

“He’s returning from a horrific injury, so game time is crucial for him. To prepare for the T20 World Cup, he should play these 14–15 IPL games because it’s significant leading into a T20 World Cup. If he plays that much cricket, he will be ready,” he added referring to the life-threatening car crash in which Pant suffered multiple injuries in 2022.

Pietersen was also impressed by Pant’s captaincy during the game, saying he used his resources quite tactfully. DC dismissed GT for 89 runs in 17.3 overs before overhauling the target in 8.5 overs.

“Yeah, the first three bowlers actually bowled beautifully this evening and the way that Rishabh Pant marshalled his troops was exceptional because you want to see one bowler bowling one over and another bowling another…,” said the former batter.

“….they keep changing with five or six bowlers bowling in the first powerplay whereas Rishabh Pant said no, I am going to back my strike bowlers and I’m going to back the guys that are doing well for me, they are very good with the new ball and I want them to really bury GT.

“And that’s exactly what Delhi did, they buried GT in the powerplay.”

In a novel gesture by the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) has hosted 12,000 cancer and thalassemia patients as “special invitees” during the IPL match between Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals in Ahmedabad.

The Rishabh Pant-led side raced to a six-wicket win after bundling out the home team for their lowest ever IPL total of 89 at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday.

In a drive to raise awareness about cancer and thalassemia, the BCCI secretary Jay Shah welcomed the “special invitees”, including blood donors and blood donation camp organizers, stated a release.

“This extraordinary gesture will go a long way in raising awareness about cancer and thalassemia, and the challenges faced by those living with this condition,” it stated.

“It also provided the individuals with a much-needed day of fun and entertainment. The excited happy faces were clearly visible, cheering for their favourite teams leading to a unique atmosphere of joy and camaraderie never seen before at the stadium,” it added.

Delhi Capitals bowler Mukesh Kumar with captain Rishabh Pant celebrates the wicket of Gujarat Titans batter Wriddhiman Saha during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals, at the Narendra Modi Stadium, in Ahmedabad, Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Delhi Capitals bundled out Gujarat Titans for 89 in their Indian Premier League match here on Wednesday, the bowlers finally having a say after being blasted all over the park in the last few matches.

Mukesh Kumar was the most successful bowler for DC with figures of 3/14, while there were two wickets apiece for Ishant Sharma (2/8) and Tristan Stubbs (2/11).

As far GT batting is concerned, only Rashid Khan put up a semblance of resistance with a 24-ball 31.

Invited to bat first, skipper Shubman Gill (8) timed to perfection an overpitched Khaleel Ahmed delivery for GT’s first scoring shot of the innings.

Ishant Sharma served up a freebie to Gill, and the ball got the treatment it deserved as the opener found the gap on the off-side.

Ishant, the seasoned campaigner, struck in the very next ball though with Gill chipping a fuller-length ball straight to Prithvi Shaw at cover on a pitch that is being used for the first time this season and has been described as a “100 percent black-soil” surface.

Sai Sudharsan (12) walked in early and got into the groove with back-to-back fours, including an exquisite boundary through extra cover.

DC captain Rishabh Pant then introduced Mukesh Kumar in place of Ishant, and the bowler responded in the fifth ball of his first over as Wriddhiman Saha (2) got a thick inside edge and the middle and off stumps were disturbed.

Playing the match in place of the injured David Warner, Sumit Kumar then produced a brilliant piece of fielding and ran out Sudharsan with a direct throw at the non-striker’s end, a diving effort from the batter failing to save him as the ball hit the base of the stumps.

The Capitals were on song, and their skipper led by example as he dived to pull off an excellent catch off Ishant to send back the dangerous David Miller (2), leaving the home team reeling at 30/4 in five overs.

Ishant opened up Miller with one that angled into the left-hander, but the umpires didn’t seem interested despite a loud appeal.

However, Pant decided to review after being persuaded by Ishant and Fraser-McGurk at slip. It was the right call, as UltraEdge showed Miller got a clear edge.

More trouble awaited the Titans as Pant pulled off a fine stumping off Tristan Stubbs to bring about Abhinav Manohar’s downfall, forcing the home team to send super sub Shahrukh Khan into the middle.

The move did not work as Shahrukh was dismissed in the very next ball after Pant somehow managed another stumping despite not gathering the ball cleanly.

Then, left-arm spinner Axar Patel rapped Rahul Tewatia on the pads and the umpire raised his finger after a confident appeal by the bowler. Tewatia reviewed, but the decision stayed as GT lost their seventh wicket with just 66 runs on the board in the 12th over.

Khaleel came back to dismiss Mohit Sharma, before Rashid Khan hoicked Kuldeep over long-off for the innings’ first and only six.

Mukesh Kumar, however, ended Rashid’s resistance after the all-rounder went for an upper cut off a short ball outside off.

Teams

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill(c), Wriddhiman Saha(wk), Sai Sudharsan, Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad, Spencer Johnson, Sandeep Warrier.

Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tristan Stubbs, Shai Hope, Rishabh Pant(wk/c), Axar Patel, Sumit Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed.