Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Rishabh Pant is surely enjoying his new role of captaincy, which can be clearly seen with the way DC has been performing in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.
The Capitals started their second leg with a comfortable win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. With the triumph, DC retained their top spot in the points table.
Pant produced a scintillating performance against SRH, scoring a quickfire 35 not out at a strike rate of close to 167. He took Sunrisers bowlers to the cleaners and smashed three fours along with two humungous sixes.
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar was largely impressed by Pant’s short yet devastating knock that helped DC to win the contest by eight wickets. In fact, Manjrekar went on to compare Pant with legendary Indian batter Virender Sehwag.
The cricketer-turned-commentator named Pant the trailblazer of the modern generation, just like Sehwag was during his playing days.
“What is Rishabh Pant for this generation? You know, when Virender Sehwag came along, we had the Dravid’s and the Tendulkars scoring truckloads of runs, and then Virender Sehwag comes in, and he was slightly different. He was a trailblazer. He got to his hundred with a six, got to his 200 with a six, got to his 300 with a six—that kind of batting we had not seen before in Test match cricket. I think Rishabh Pant, already with a lot of Sehwag-kind of players around him hitting fours and sixes at will, he is a guy who is a trailblazer for this generation,” said Manjrekar in T20 Timeout show on ESPNcricinfo.
Manjrekar mentioned that Pant does not attack out of desperation as his aggressive batting style is already pre-planned. Manjrekar stated the advantage of having a batsman like Pant is that he can finish the game early, and the team doesn’t get into a hole like Punjab Kings (PBKS) got during their contest against Rajasthan Royals (RR) when they lost the game in the final over.
“Sometimes you can think that in England, he failed, and the first shot he tried today, that’s all calculated risks that he takes. It’s not out of desperation, he’s not confused or nervous. It’s all pre-planned. We saw, in the end, the advantage of having someone who can hit the fours and sixes, then you don’t get into a hole like Punjab Kings the other night. So, those are the advantages. Rishabh Pant is a great value to have,” Manjrekar added.
