Rishabh Pant after Delhi Capitals' 106-run loss: 'We just didn't turn up'

Rishabh Pant acknowledged Delhi Capitals didn’t click with the bat or the ball against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Wednesday. With KKR batting first, Delhi conceded the second-highest IPL total of 272 runs . In the chase, they lost early wickets before earning some respectability but still lost by 106 runs .

“We just didn’t turn up,” said the Delhi Capitals captain Pant while asking his teammates to introspect following the massive defeat.

“Our bowlers were all over the place. We just didn’t turn up on the day. Today was one of those days,” Pant said in the post-match presentation ceremony.

“As a batting unit, we only wanted to keep going hard as a team. I would rather get all out as a team than not go for the target,” he added.

Sunil Narine, who top-scored with 85 off 39 balls, earned a reprieve as Pant was late in calling for DRS on an outside edge early in the game. “I think it was quite loud here (in Visakhapatnam). At the same time, couldn’t see the timer on the screen. There was some problem on the screen. But there are some things you can control, some things you can’t,” said Pant in his defence.

Axar Patel, the solitary spinner in the DC team, bowled only one over that yielded 18 runs. “See the thought process was that we didn’t want to use spinners but our fast bowlers were going through the motions. I think it is time for reflections as an individual. We need to learn from these mistakes and come out positive in the next match.”

Pant was one of the two half-centurions in Delhi’s chase. Coming off an extended absence from cricket , Pant has looked in fine touch as he scored his second consecutive fifty.

“Doing fine. Getting out there. Enjoying every day but cricket has its own ups and downs.”

Player of the Match Narine, who struck his highest T20 score, said he’s looking to contribute more with the bat. “Cricket is all about batting so looking to contribute more as a batter. That said, I still enjoy by bowling.”

On the team joke that he does not attend batting meetings, he said, “I have one role and the less I know the better it is for me. At the end of the day it is what the team needs. If they need me to bat, I will bat,” he added.