Rishabh Pant smashed the fastest fifty against Mumbai Indians in IPL history when he reached the milestone off just 18 balls. He walked in to bat at number 5 for Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday and took on a strong Mumbai attack only the way he could.
Pant’s unbeaten knock of 78 came in just 27 balls and was laced with 7 sixes and seven fours as Delhi scored 213 for 6 in 20 overs.
Earlier, the record for the fastest fifty against Mumbai Indians was held by Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni. In 2012, Dhoni had scored a fifty off 20 balls against the Mumbai side.
Meanwhile, Pant’s innings against Mumbai will surely hold him in good stead for a World Cup birth. The Indian team still hasn’t sorted its middle order out and a couple of more such knocks from the Delhi lad could seal a spot for him in Virat Kohli’s team.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Just Wow from Pant !
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) March 24, 2019
Rishabh Pant is a serious player !!!
— Nasser Hussain (@nassercricket) March 24, 2019
When @RishabPant777 is in the middle he is starting to show that you should stop what you are doing and WATCH!! Unbelievable hitting, what about those two 6’s off Bumrah…😮💪🏽👊🏽 #MIvDC
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) March 24, 2019
50 off 17 balls for @RishabPant777 … #IPL2019 … No idea why he keeps getting criticised In India … Just let him play the way he plays …
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 24, 2019
Big things come in small packages #RishabPant such a hands player , never seems to get head in line but somehow seems to get enough power to get it over the ropes #MIvsDC #IPL #IPL2019 #BadriBytes
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) March 24, 2019
Oh nahi reesan teriyan shera @RishabPant777 #topclass 👏👏 #MIvsDC #IPL2019
— Mandeep Singh (@mandeeps12) March 24, 2019
Pant overtakes #RCB in 24 balls! #MIvDC
— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh) March 24, 2019
That’s was some serious hitting @RishabPant777 incredible batting @IPL #MIvDC
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) March 24, 2019
Rishabh Pant is an incredible talent #DCvsMI
— Ajit Agarkar (@imAagarkar) March 24, 2019
Only one word for Rishabh Pant today. Wow. The sixes were exquisite but the boundary to get to 50 was simply special.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 24, 2019
Rishabh Pant scored just one run off his first 5 balls, but thereafter?
41466464146.41126646L1
77 off 22
blasted 7 fours, 7 sixes
What an innings! #MIvDC #IPL2019— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) March 24, 2019
https://twitter.com/hankypanty/status/1109852925550120961