After two losses in their first two games, Delhi Capitals, captained by Rishabh Pant, recorded their first victory of the IPL 2024 season in Visakhapatnam. That they did it against Chennai Super Kings, who had won their first two matches, would boost the morale of Ricky Ponting’s team.
The two biggest positives for Delhi were runs coming from the bat of Prithvi Shaw (43 off 27) and captain Rishabh Pant, who cracked 51 off 32 and took Delhi to 191, which they defended successfully, winning the game by 20 runs as Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar.
After the match, though, Rishabh Pant was handed a heavy fine of INR 12 lakhs by the IPL for slow-over rate of Delhi Capitals in Vizag.
The IPL released a statement, confirming that since it is Pant and Delhi’s first breach of the over-rate, he will be fined the minimum amount.
“Rishabh Pant, the Delhi Capitals captain, has been fined after his team maintained a slow over rate during their TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against Chennai Super Kings at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam on March 31. As it was his team’s first offense of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over rate offenses, Pant was fined Rs 12 lakhs,” the IPL release stated.
Earlier, Shubman Gill, the Gujarat Titans skipper, became the first captain this season to be penalised for slow-over rate.
“I kept believing I could change the match”: Rishabh Pant
Pant’s initiation this season was slow. He managed 46 runs in two innings at a strike rate of 117. Against CSK, he looked in much better rhythm and confidence. Although he was 23 runs off 23 balls at the end of the 17th over, he hadn’t looked as scratchy as in his previous two knocks. That showed when he clobbered 28 runs in his next 8 balls before being dismissed in the 19th over.
Pant said, “Took my time initially because I haven’t played much cricket, but I kept believing I could change the match. [Hand-off-the-bat six] One and a half years [been waiting to play], this is something I have built my life on. Still have to keep learning as a cricketer.”
Also Read: A Fan Calls Out Individual Obsession In India After The Innings Of MS Dhoni Despite CSK’s Loss
