Rishabh Pant said, “I kept believing I could change the match,” following his first fifty since returning from injury

As Rishabh Pant and MS Dhoni produced incredible hits, the spectators who had gathered at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, March 31, to see the Delhi Capitals versus Chennai Super Kings match left with many fond memories.

After scoring 93 runs in the first ten overs with Prithvi Shaw and David Warner, Pant came out to bat at No. 3. The wicketkeeper-batter initially had trouble with timing and reached 23 off of just 23 balls. He did, however, accelerate admirably and hammered 28 of his final nine balls. In the penultimate over of the Delhi innings, Matheesha Pathirana eventually removed the southpaw after he had reached 51 off 32 balls. Four fours and three sixes glistened in his knock.

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After 14 months away from professional cricket due to a horrible vehicle accident in December 2022, Pant returned, and this was his first half-century since then. The 26-year-old struck a one-handed six in Mustafizur Rahman’s 18th over of bowling, a shot that made him famous before his accident. Pant stated following the game that he had been waiting a very long time to make his signature shot. Additionally, he declared that he always believed he could come back strong and outclass the bowlers.

According to India Today, Rishabh Pant responded

“One and a half years,” when asked if the rest of the cricket world was waiting for him to hit a one-handed six. Despite my lack of cricket experience, I never gave up on my belief that I could win the game. My entire existence has been based on this. As a cricketer, you still have to keep learning,” he continued.

Delhi set a difficult goal of 192 for Chennai after Pant’s blitzkrieg. The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 champions, who had won both of their matches coming into this match and were the five-time winners, had to work hard to earn their runs since the Delhi bowlers were so well-prepared and executed. At number eight in the batting order, MS Dhoni produced a brilliant innings of 37, not out of only 16 balls, but he was simply outclassed. Ultimately, the Capitals won their opening game of the season, with the Men in Yellow down by 20 runs.