the former India Opener Aakash Chopra reviewed Rishabh Pant’s captaincy in the recently concluded Indian Premier League, where Delhi Capitals finished fifth in the points table. It was not an ideal season for Delhi as the camp was affected by COVID-19 cases, which were followed by other health concerns among the players. Delhi fought hard for a place in the playoffs but a defeat against Mumbai Indians in the last match of the league stage saw them pull out of the tournament.
Chopra said that he likes Pant as a player but was not impressed by his captaincy this season as some of his decisions left him scratching his head.
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“Rishabh Pant is one of my favorites as a player and I really like him as we also come from the same club. But his captaincy was not that good. There have been times when I was left scratching my head. There was a match in which Kuldeep Yadav took four wickets in his three overs but was not given his fourth over. It didn’t happen just once and on several occasions DC’s main bowlers did not bowl their four overs.
The cricketer-turned-commentator said that Pant’s poor form was also one of the reasons why Delhi Capitals failed to reach the playoff stage.
“Rishabh Pant’s form with the bat was also a big issue for DC. His runs did not come in the reason for the victory. He has a good average, but he has scored more runs in the games he has lost. You need to contribute to the cause of winning. Unfortunately Pant could not do that.
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Pant faced a lot of scrutiny for throwing away his wicket on several occasions and Chopra even suggested that the southpaw get out because of his arrogance.
“At times, he gets out because of his ego. He tried to take a bowler too much after hitting a six. But there was no scope for it in this team as there was not much batting after that,” said Chopra.
Leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav was one of the savers for Delhi Capitals this season as he scalped 21 wickets in 14 matches.
The former opener credited Kuldeep’s success to his captain Pant as he gave him the freedom to express himself.
“Kuldeep Yadav took a lot of wickets and Rishabh Pant deserves some credit for that. He bowled him in the late stages of the game and even gave him the 20th over once. He bowled him in areas and times where there were chances of getting wickets,” he said.
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