Ricky Ponting, head coach of the Delhi Capitals (DC), rejected fitness worries regarding skipper Rishabh Pant during their IPL 2024 game against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Wednesday, April 3.
Though Pant needed the physio’s help, Ricky Ponting stated it was just fatigue. The keeper-batter did not limp after treatment.
KKR defeated DC by a huge 106 runs in Match 16. Kolkata scored an enormous 272-7 after batting first. Delhi’s innings ended at a meager 166. Despite DC’s poor showing, captain Pant managed his second fifty in two matches.
During the Wednesday match, Pant sought help from the team’s physiotherapist. However, Ponting addressed concerns about Pant’s well-being at a post-game press conference. He reassured everyone regarding Pant’s fitness.
Ponting wanted to focus on Pant’s batting in the past two games, characterizing it as a significant improvement.
Pant scored 51 off 32 in a 20-run victory over the Chennai Super Kings and added 55 off 25 against KKR on Wednesday.
“Obviously, Rishabh hadn’t heard them” – Ricky Ponting on Pant’s DRS blunders
While Rishabh Pant was great with the bat, his on-field performance was underwhelming.
He made two incorrect DRS calls, saving Sunil Narine and Shreyas Iyer. Pant’s appeal was denied in the first case because he signaled too late, and in the second, he did not pursue the review at all.
The DC coach, on the other hand, dismissed the blunders as minor, pointing out that they had more pressing concerns to address.
DC has had a dismal start to the IPL 2024 season, sitting in ninth place with one win from four games.