“Powerplay was the difference”: Rishabh Pant following defeat against SRH

In the aftermath of Delhi Capitals’ (DC) 67-run defeat to SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, DC captain Rishabh Pant pinpointed the powerplay overs as the pivotal phase that led to their loss at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday.

SRH’s robust performance featured a particularly daunting opening spell, overshadowing a valiant effort from DC’s Jake Fraser McGurk. Reflecting on the decision to field first, Pant commented on the impact of the powerplay and the absence of anticipated dew.

“I think the only thought process behind it was that there could be dew that didn’t come (on choosing to bowl first), but we would still have had a chance had we restricted them to 220-230. The powerplay was the difference; they got 125 runs and we ended up playing and catching up after that,” Pant explained during the post-match presentation.

Pant praised Australian young gun Jake Fraser McGurk for his standout performance this season. “His batting has been phenomenal, he’s been nice for us. That’s what we need to do as a team, be together, look at areas where we can improve going into the next game,” he added, acknowledging the need for a strategic rethink to bolster the team’s upcoming performances.

Also Read: IPL 2024: All round SRH beat DC by 67 runs

Despite the challenging pitch conditions which seemed to deteriorate in the second inning, Pant emphasized the necessity of maintaining a high scoring rate in pursuit of such a steep target. “The ball stopped more in the 2nd inning; that was more than we anticipated, but when we needed to chase 260, 270, you’ll need to keep scoring. Hopefully, we’ll come up with more thought process and a clearer mindset going forward,” said Pant, underlining the uphill battle DC faced in their run chase.