In a recent Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Visakhapatnam, DC skipper Rishabh Pant found himself in the spotlight for an unfortunate reason. Pant was fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during the thrilling encounter where DC emerged victorious by 20 runs.
The standout moments of the match included Pant’s return-to-form innings of 51 runs off 32 balls and a late blitz by CSK’s veteran MS Dhoni, who scored an unbeaten 37 runs off just 16 balls in a pursuit of 192 runs set by DC.
The league promptly issued a statement regarding Pant’s offence, confirming a fine of Rs 12 lakhs for his team’s first over-rate violation of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct. “Rishabh Pant, the Delhi Capitals captain, has been fined after his team maintained a slow over rate during their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against Chennai Super Kings at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam on March 31,” the statement read.
Despite the hiccup with the over-rate, DC put up an impressive performance with the bat after winning the toss and electing to bat first. Opening batsmen David Warner and Prithvi Shaw set a solid foundation with a 93-run partnership. Warner scored 52 runs off 35 balls, including five fours and three sixes, while Shaw contributed 43 runs off 27 balls with four boundaries and two sixes. However, after their dismissals, DC faced a slight slump until Pant’s quickfire 51 off 32 balls, featuring four boundaries and three sixes, helped propel the team to 191/5 in their 20 overs.
CSK’s bowling was led by Matheesha Pathirana, who impressed with figures of 3/31, picking up crucial wickets in the middle overs.
In their chase of 192, CSK encountered resistance from DC’s bowlers, especially Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar. At one point, CSK found themselves at 75/3 in 10.2 overs. However, contributions from Ajinkya Rahane (45 off 30 balls), Daryl Mitchell (34 off 26 balls), and the late onslaught by Dhoni ensured a competitive chase. Dhoni’s 37 not out off 16 balls, including four boundaries and three sixes, kept CSK in the hunt. Nevertheless, DC’s bowlers held their nerve to secure a 20-run victory, restricting CSK to 171/6.
Khaleel Ahmed’s impactful bowling earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his match-winning spell that disrupted CSK’s chase.
Following this result, CSK maintains their position in the second spot on the points table with two wins and a loss, accumulating four points. On the other hand, DC finds themselves in the seventh spot with one win and two losses, totaling two points.
As the IPL 2024 season progresses, fans can expect more action-packed encounters and standout performances from both teams as they vie for success in the tournament.
