We were all over the place with the ball today: Rishabh Pant

Delhi Capitals entered the clash against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 3 (Wednesday) hoping to build on the victory against Chennai Super Kings, but Wednesday ended up being a day to forget for Rishabh Pant’s side, who ended up suffering the second-heaviest defeat in their history.

Asked to bowl after losing the toss, DC ended up conceding 272, the second highest total in Indian Premier League (IPL) history. They were taken apart by an inspired KKR batting line-up, which, led by Sunil Narine, showed no mercy and blasted the Delhi bowlers out of the park.

The surface was an excellent one but it simply didn’t happen on the night for DC, who ended up getting bowled out for 166. 

Post the game, DC skipper Pant rued his side’s awry effort with the ball in hand.

“We were just all over the place [with the ball], we could have done better, and it is one of those days I feel,” Pant said post the game.

DC, though, went for the chase, scoring at close to 10 RPO, eventually getting bowled out inside 18 overs. Pant said that he always prefers his side to go down swinging.

“As a batting unit, we talked about going hard [at the target] and that's how we approach these games because it is better to be all-out trying to go for the total than not chase it down.”

DC conceded 272 but it could have been a lot better for the hosts had the Capitals just used their reviews better. Both Sunil Narine and Shreyas Iyer were given reprieves due to DC not reviewing caught-behind appeals, and the non-review of Narine (on 24) ended up proving fatal. 

“It was quite loud (the venue) and couldn't see the timer on the screen,” Pant said, when asked about the non-reviews.

“There was some issue with the screen as well, there are some things you can control and some you cannot control, you just need to go with the flow.”

Shreyas Iyer, meanwhile, was full of praise for the ‘phenomenal’ Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who struck a sizzling fifty in his first ever IPL innings. 

“He was fearless from ball one, his work ethic is phenomenal, the way he played his shots were pleasing to the eye,” Iyer said of young Raghuvanshi.

On the night, Harshit Rana did not bowl a single ball and walked off the field during the second innings with a suspected shoulder injury. Iyer said that he is not quite sure how serious Rana’s injury is.

“I also don't know, on the field he was holding his shoulder,” Iyer said.

With the thumping victory, KKR have moved to the top of the table.

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