Follow UsWith 56 runs to defend off the last five overs, hosts LSG looked like they would yet again steal two points right from under the nose of the opposition on April 14 (Monday) against CSK. That’s where that one over of Ravi Bishnoi was crucial for the hosts, especially against MS Dhoni, who has a strike rate of 94.24 against spin in IPL since 202.
However, Rishabh Pant kept delaying that one over, bowling his two pacers - Shardul Thakur and Avesh Khan - a move that failed as CSK chased down the target with three deliveries to spare. It was arguably the biggest difference-maker on the night. So, why did Pant delay Bishnoi’s last over?
“There was a lot of time I thought about bowling Bishnoi, but I discussed it with other players and thought, let's take it deeper. That ultimately didn’t end up happening,” Pant revealed in the post-match presentation.
“Bowling in the powerplay has been a concern for us, but we can pull things back. As a team, we are looking to take the positives from each and every game and we are trying to improve,” he also insisted.
Overall, Pant also insisted that the hosts were at least 10-15 runs short and kept losing wickets at the wrong moments in the clash.
“We feel that as a team we were 10 to 15 runs short, we kept losing wickets when the momentum was with us. We had to keep stitching in partnerships. The wicket was stopping a bit, but we could have got 15 runs more, I feel,” he added.
After struggling early on in the season, Pant finally found form with the bat, standing tall with a 49-ball 63, a knock that helped LSG get to 166/7 in their 20 overs.
“I am feeling better with each and every game, but sometimes it doesn't come off. Slowly getting into my rhythm, taking every match at a time,” he concluded.