IPL 2017: Rishabh Pant shines in record chase as Delhi Daredevils (DD) register thumping win over Gujarat Lions (GL) in IPL 10, Match 42
IPL 2017: Pant shines in record chase as DD register thumping win over GL in IPL 10
Rishabh Pant hit Gujarat Lions (GL) hard in Match No. 42 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi as Delhi Daredevils (DD) completed crushing 7-wicket win. Chasing 209, DD were always in complete command with Pant smashing a match-winning 43-ball 97 that included 6 fours and 9 sixes. Sanju Samson, another talented youngster, gave him ample support, scoring 31-ball 61 with 7 sixes. Together the two added 143 runs for the second wicket, thus setting up a clinical win which came with 15 balls to spare. With this win, DD keep their campaign alive while the doors are more or less shut for Gujarat. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD, Delhi Daredevils vs Gujarat Lions – Match 42
In pursuit of 209, and importantly staying alive in IPL 10, DD had to start strong. Stand-in skipper Karun Nair started off with a couple of fours in the first over. He was lucky in the next over when he survived despite edging Basil Thampi to the wicketkeeper. However, he could not make the most of it as he perished in the very next over, when Pradeep Sangwan bounced him out.
Hero of the match, Pant then walked out to bat at No. 3. What ensued was absolute carnage, as two bright young talents of Indian cricket Samson and Pant completely took charge of the situation and made mockery of the massive target.
Pant opened his account with a six off Thampi’s bowling, and then there was no stopping him after that. In the very next over he hammered Sangwan for two consecutive sixes and a four. The duo kept dealing in sixes even as Gujarat skipper Suresh Raina shuffled his bowlers. Boundaries kept raining in virtually every over. While Samson took on spinners Raina, Ankit Soni and Ravindra Jadeja, Pant was severe against the pacers. After taking on Thampi and Sangwan, he clobbered James Faulkner for 22 in the 11th over of the innings.
Pant brought up his fifty in 27 balls while Samson completed his in 24. Both looked unstoppable and it seemed that they would take DD home. Then Samson departed for 61 off 31 balls. Curiously, though he hit 7 sixes, there was not a single four in his innings. Pant followed him to the hut, falling short of his well-deserved hundred by just 3 runs. Shreyas Iyer and Corey Anderson then finished the game.
Earlier, winning the toss, Nair had decided to field first. There were no surprises here, as DD had won their previous fixture chasing against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the same venue a couple of days back. Surprisingly, DD left out Chris Morris, and Marlon Samuels finally made his debut for DD.
Put in to bat first, Gujarat did not have the best of the starts, losing 2 for 10. Then Raina and Dinesh Karthik not just bailed their team out of trouble, but also laid a solid foundation for a huge score by hitting crucial half-centuries. Raina’s blistering 77 and Karthik’s splendid 64 powered Gujarat Lions to 208 for 7 in 20 overs. They added 133 runs for the third wicket and once they fell in quick succession, Aaron Finch (27) and Jadeja’s cameos ensured a strong finish. Jadeja finished off with sixes off final two deliveries, thus pushing score beyond 200. For DD, Kagiso Rabada and Pat Cummins took 2 wickets apiece while Corey Anderson took 1.
Brief scores:
Gujarat Lions 208 for 7 in 20 overs (Suresh Raina 77, Dinesh Karthik 64; Kagiso Rabada 2 for 28, Pat Cummins 2 for 30) lost to Delhi Daredevils 214 for 3 in 17.3 overs (Rishabh Pant 97, Sanju Samson 61; Ravindra Jadeja 1 for 28, Basil Thampi 1 for 40) by 7 wickets.
Man of the Match: Rishabh Pant