Rishabh Pant set to create history as 1st Delhi Capitals player to reach this milestone in IPL 2024
Published - 28 Mar 2024, 01:01 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:08 AM
Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is on the brink of making history for the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Rishabh Pant is set to become the first cricketer from the Delhi Capitals to achieve such a significant milestone in the tournament’s history.
Rishabh Pant made his IPL debut with the Delhi-based franchise during the 2016 season. The left-handed batter quickly became an integral part of the team. The southpaw was named captain of the franchise in 2021 after Shreyas Iyer was ruled out due to injury.
Unfortunately, the 26-year-old batter missed last year’s IPL season due to a near-fatal car accident in December 2022. Despite his absence, the Delhi base franchise retained him. He made his return to the field during DC’s first match of the ongoing season.
The DC skipper scored 18 runs off 13 balls, including two boundaries, in his comeback match. It’s worth mentioning that he also kept wickets despite his prolonged absence from professional cricket. However, DC suffered a four-wicket loss to the Punjab Kings (PBKS).
The Delhi team will face the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their next match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Thursday, March 28. The Sanju Samson-led team is coming off a 20-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their previous encounter in IPL 2024.
Rishabh Pant Set To Mark 100th IPL Appearance For Delhi Capitals
In the upcoming match against the Royals, Rishabh Pant will make his 100th appearance in the IPL. Pant will also become the most-capped player for the Delhi team in the IPL, making him the first player in the team’s history to achieve 100 IPL appearances.
| Player | Matches |
|---|---|
| Rishabh Pant | 99 |
| Amit Mishra | 99 |
| Shreyas Iyer | 87 |
| David Warner | 82 |
| Virender Sehwag | 79 |
| Prithvi Shaw | 71 |
| Axar Patel | 69 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | 63 |
The middle-order batter has scored 2856 runs in 99 matches at an average of 34.41 and a remarkable strike rate of 147.90. Pant has notched up 15 half-centuries and 1 century throughout his career. Notably, his top score of 128 runs came against SRH in 2018.
We All Were So Happy To See Rishabh Pant – Shai Hope
During an interview with IANS, DC batter Shai Hope expressed his joy at seeing Rishabh Pant back on the field. He recalled the vibrant atmosphere and the loud cheers from the spectators for the DC captain.
“It was amazing. We all were so happy to see him out there after such a long time. Like I was saying, the world needs to see a Rishabh Pant and a fit Rishabh Pant and the atmosphere when he walked out to the crease — because I was there at the crease as well. I felt a different buz. It was so loud. Everyone welcomed him with open arms,” Hope said.
Rishabh Pant has positive recollections of playing at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, where he contributed to India’s victory against New Zealand in a T20I in 2021, and he aims to replicate that success for DC in the upcoming match.
The Capitals may face the absence of their key pacer, Ishant Sharma, in the upcoming matches due to an injury sustained while fielding. It’s anticipated that Rasikh Salam might step in to fill Sharma’s position in the playing XI.
Also read: Rishabh Pant is disturbing accuses Sunil Gavaskar
