Watch: Rishabh Pant expresses frustration, slams his bat after failing in comeback game

Delhi Capitals‘ captain Rishabh Pant’s return to competitive cricket in IPL 2024 against the Punjab Kings came to a disappointing end as Harshal Patel claimed his wicket with a soft dismissal for 18 off 13. It was Pant’s first-ever IPL match since the 2022 season and first in any form of cricket since he endured that horrific car accident in December 2022 which kept him out of action for more than a year.

Before departing from the middle here at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium, Rishabh Pant had scored 2 fours and was trying his best to swing the bat across. He had just scored that second 4 towards the cover region before Harshal Patel trapped him with an outside-off, short-pitched delivery.

Pant was in the middle of – trying to let it go and directing it towards square of the wicket but he mistimes with the ball taking a leading edge and falling safely on Jonny Bairstow’s hands. The wicketkeeper-batsman was frustrated and he slammed his bat in anger after getting out in the match.

Watch Rishabh Pant gets out through a soft dismissal upon competitive return against Punjab Kings

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It what was touted to be a dreamy comeback for him has proved to be nothing but one he will go back in the dressing room and kicking himself. It hasn’t been a difficult pitch to bat on until now as the ball has come nicely to the bat and the Delhi Capitals batsmen do not have anyone to blame but themselves for the way everyone lost their wicket.

After getting off to a flying start through the Aussie pair of Mitchell Marsh and David Warner, Punjab Kings bowlers kept taking wickets just when a short partnerships were brewing. Marsh, who was leading the run-scoring charge, became the first to depart for a 12-ball 20 with a catch at point.

Then David Warner departed by just gloving a Harshal Patel bouncer for 29 runs and his departure saw everyone in the stadium, stand up on their feet to welcome back Rishabh Pant. The left-hand batter got going pretty well along with number 3 batter Shai Hope but the West Indies international departed 20 runs after Warner’s departure for 25-ball 33.

2 overs later, Rishabh Pant received his marching orders as well when he was at 18 runs and more wickets kept falling down as the inning proceeded. In the next over, Ricky Bhui, too gave his wicket with a soft dismissal. Then Tristan Stubbs got out by attempting to play a half-hearted lofted shot towards covers as he was caught by Shashank Singh with a diving effort.

Then Axar Patel got run-out 21 before getting subbed off for wicket-keeper batsman Abhishek Porel. Punjab pacer Arshdeep Singh registered his first wicket of the day when spinner Sumit Kumar was he was sent back for 2 off 9 with DC not even being favored to score 160 runs.

But, Abhishek Porel, who came in as an Impact player, provided his impact with a sensational knock towards the end of DC’s innings, batting at a strike rate of over 300 and batting exactly the way a batter should in the last overs. Especially when the team is in such a situation. Porel smacked 25 runs alone in the final over bowled by Harshal Patel and took Delhi from 147 to 174. That’s a good comeback.