IPL 2022: Rishabh Pant is a big-match player – Sanjay Manjrekar expects DC captain to deliver

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar is not worried about Rishabh Pant’s form in the ongoing Indian Premier League.

Pant hasn’t fired at all cylinders but Manjrekar expects the left-hander to come to the party in the upcoming matches. Manjrekar stated that Pant is a big-match player and he expects him to come good in the forthcoming matches.

DC captain didn’t get to bat against Punjab Kings in the last game as Prithvi Shaw and David Warner scored the bulk of the runs. Pant had scored a quickfire knock of 34 runs off just 17 balls against RCB but it was not enough to get his team over the line.

Pant has scored 144 runs in five innings for DC at an average of 36 and a strike rate of 146.93 in the ongoing season. It is well known that Rishabh Pant can take the game away from the opposition with his blistering batting but he needs to be more consistent as a leader of the team.

Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Manjrekar said, “He didn’t get to bat in the last game, but he made 34 runs at a strike rate of 200 in the match previous to that. If we see Pant’s performance in the last 2-3 IPL seasons, he doesn’t score in every fixture.”

He added: “He is more consistent in Test cricket rather than the IPL. However, he is a big-match player. Right now, the openers are firing, but I expect Pant to play well in the pressure games ahead because as we say ‘class is permanent.”

On the other hand, DC registered their third win of the season after their bowlers skittled out PBKS at 115 in the previous match. Subsequently, Shaw and Warner made a merry of the run-chase as they scored 41 and 60* respectively to power their team to an easy win.

“Yes, absolutely. When there is a low score to chase, a way is to play slowly as they feel sure to win the game. The Capitals were chasing a modest score against the Punjab Kings. The way the two players finished the match, it shows both are dangerous and free-spirited batters.”

Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav has been brilliant for Delhi Capitals as he has snared 13 wickets in six matches. Manjrekar lauded Rishabh Pant for backing Kuldeep Yadav.

“The credit for it goes to the captain, coach, and the management because Kuldeep Yadav struggled to find a place last year. Now, he has become a top performer and created an impact against the Punjab Kings. However, Axar Patel should have received the player of the match award.”

DC will next face RR on Friday at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.