Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Rishabh Pant smashed a superb fifty in the first Qualifier of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to lead his side to an imposing 172-run total in Dubai on Sunday. 

The wicketkeeper-batsman delivered when the team needed him most, scoring 51 runs from 35 deliveries to pull last year’s finalists out of a tough situation. The Capitals were reduced to 77 for the loss of three from 9.4 overs when Pant arrived at the crease, but the 24-year-old stitched a timely partnership with Shimron Hetmeyer to help Delhi to a respectable total. 

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The Guyanese batsman scored a handy 37 from 24 deliveries and added 83 runs for the fifth wicket together with Pant as Delhi recovered from an early slump. 

While the composure and grit Pant showed in his innings is commendable in itself, the highlight came when he hit his trademark one-handed sixes against the CSK bowlers, twice.

The first one came against Shardul Thakur in the 16th over, when Pant went after a full, wide delivery  and managed to just clear the mid-wicket boundary with an 86-metre six. 

Watch the shot here:

The second came against Dwayne Bravo in the 19th over, when a similar delivery from the Trinidadian met the same fate, sailing straight down the ground for a 78-metre six. Watch a clip here:

Earlier, Prithvi Shaw’s blistering 60 from 34 deliveries got Delhi off to a quick start, but CSK kept chipping in with regular wickets. Shikhar Dhawan was the first to depart after scoring a run-a-ball seven, after Josh Hazlewood forced an edge from the southpaw.

The Aussie seamer then sent Shreyas Iyer packing after the former Delhi captain scored just one run from eight balls. Moeen Ali caught and bowled Axar Patel (10 from 11) and Jadeja removed Shaw before Hetmeyer and Pant took over proceedings for Delhi.