Sunil Gavaskar, the renowned legendary Indian cricketer, intervened to encourage Delhi Capitals player Rishabh Pant following their defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024.
Delhi Capitals faced a tough defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi last Saturday. Opting to field first after winning the toss, DC watched SRH set an imposing total of 266 runs. Despite their efforts, DC’s batsmen struggled against Hyderabad’s precise bowling and managed only 199 runs in reply.
DC skipper Rishabh Pant couldn’t hide his disappointment during the post-match presentation. His feelings were evident as he addressed the media. Sensing Pant’s dejection, former Indian cricketing icon Sunil Gavaskar stepped in to lift his spirits. Gavaskar reassured the wicketkeeper-batsman, reminding him that there’s a long way to go in the tournament and plenty of opportunities to bounce back.
“Rishabh, Sunil here. I have never seen you down, I don’t ever want to see you down. I want to just see a smile on your face. Never mind the result. Go ahead, because there are plenty of matches to come.” said Gavaskar.
“I will try my best, sir,” Pant replied.
“The only thought process behind that was we thought there would be some dew but it didn’t come. I thought if we could restrict them to 220-230 we would be in with a chance. I think powerplay was the difference. We were just catching up throughout the match. That was the massive difference,” said Pant.
DC suffered their seventh defeat in the ongoing IPL season, leaving them languishing in seventh place on the points table. Meanwhile, SRH climbed to second position with 10 points to their credit. Up next for DC is a showdown against Gujarat Titans in the 40th match of the tournament, scheduled for April 24 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
