IPL 2021: 5 decisions Rishabh Pant got wrong vs CSK- Delhi Capitals record in the playoffs continues to haunt them as they suffered a disappointing defeat at the hands of the Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. The defeat adds pressure to the table-toppers, who have one final chance at making it to the IPL 2021 final when they take on the winner of the RCB vs KKR Eliminator clash later this week. Should the Capitals bounce back, captain Rishabh Pant will have to be on his toes and be on top of his game, as any more mistakes will lead to the end of their campaign.
IPL 2021: 5 decisions Rishabh Pant got wrong in Qualifier 1 defeat against CSK
Here we look at 5 decisions that Rishabh Pant got wrong in his captaincy debut in the IPL playoffs.
- Rabada not finishing his spell
Perhaps the most baffling of all decisions taken on Sunday by Rishabh Pant was to not use his strike bowler Kagiso Rabada for his full quota of overs. The South African speedster had conceded just 23 in his three overs but did not finish his quota of overs, with Pant opting with Avesh Khan and Tom Curran to close out the innings. The move failed terribly as MS dhoni showed his class and took CSK over the finish line.
- Avesh Khan, Tom Curran bowling the final two overs of the game
Tom Curran enjoyed a good solid outing before being taken for runs by MS Dhoni in the final over of the match. It was a tough ask of the English all-rounder, given he was featuring in just his first match of the IPL 2021 season against one of the very best in the business. Avesh meanwhile ended with a spell of 1/47, conceding more than twice the runs Rabada conceded in his three.
IPL 2021: 5 decisions Rishabh Pant got wrong in Qualifier 1 defeat against CSK
- Promoting Axar Patel to No.4
After Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer departed quickly, Rishabh Pant shocked viewers as he promoted Axar Patel to number 4. The move barely worked as Patel departed quickly, adding more pressure on the likes of Pant himself and Shimron Hetmyer to play prolonged innings. Patel’s dismissal also added to the lack of support for Prithvi Shaw, who departed soon after reaching his half-century.
- Not utilising Ashwin’s quota of overs
Ashwin bowled just overs against CSK, despite his familiarity with the franchise set-up. While the Indian offspinner was taken for runs, conceding 19 in his two over, he remains one of Delhi’s wicket-taking options with the ball, and perhaps another over or two could have urged CSK to force the issue and led to handing the advantage back to the Capitals.
- Compromising on batting depth
Rishabh Pant opted to bring Tom Curran in as a replacement for Marcus Stoinis, but the move seriously hit impacted their batting depth. With Curran being more of a slogger and Axar hardly giving any returns with the bat in recent times, Delhi Capitals had only five proper batsmen to count on, meaning that Pant and Hetmyer had to hold their horses while batting in the latter stages., They did accelerate and get DC past 170, but a much higher score would have been on the cards and Pant opted for a batting all-rounder.
IPL 2021: 5 decisions Rishabh Pant got wrong in Qualifier 1 defeat against CSK
