IPL 2022: DC captain Rishabh Pant has 'full backing' of head coach Ricky Ponting
May 22, 2022
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 22 : Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting said on Saturday said that captain Rishabh Pant has his full backing and he looks forward to working together with him again next year.
A top-notch Jasprit Bumrah spell (3/25) and fine knocks from Ishan Kishan (48), Dewald Brevis (37) and Tim David (34) helped MI end their disappointing season with a bang as they won the game by five wickets, chasing down the target of 160 set by Delhi Capitals here at Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. This win by MI has sent Royal Challengers Bangalore into the playoffs, where they will take on Lucknow Super Giants in the eliminator.
"No doubt in my mind that Rishabh (Rishabh Pant) even in the last season was the right choice for captain. Rishabh did a terrific job with the team after he took over from Shreyas (Iyer) after he injured his shoulders. He is just a young man and still learning captaincy," said Ponting during a post-match conference.
Being captain of a T20 team, especially in IPL, which is a high-pressure tournament, is not an easy thing to do and unfortunately, every single thing you do will be scrutinised. He certainly got my full backing and looking back to working together with him again next year," he added.
Ponting admitted that DC's top order performed poorly during the match. "We were four down for 40, which is not the ideal way to start a T20 game, especially big games which you have to win," he added.
Praising Tim David for his quickfire 34 off 11 balls, the former Aussie batting great said that he felt gutted that the game slipped through their hands in the end.
The head coach said that he was disappointed with the side's tactics towards the end of the game.
"Considering the conditions and the type of players at the crease, We think we got a lot of things wrong. There might have been, might have not been any difference in the game, but I am disappointed with the way the game finished for us, and the season finished for us. It will leave a sour taste in most of the players' mouths for the next twelve months till we get back again," he added.
Ponting said that throughout the tournament, the side failed to put out 'very good games of cricket' together and opined that the bowlers outperformed the batters.
"Our batting has been really inconsistent. But we are delighted with Khaleel Ahmed, Sakariya (Chetan Sakariya). Kuldeep Yadav has been one of the finds this season. With Axar (Axar Patel), you know what you are getting. Shardul (Shardul Thakur) had some great games at the back end. We had quite an interruptive season with COVID and injuries. It has been one of those up and down seasons," he added.
Coming to the match, a top-notch spell from Jasprit Bumrah (3/25) kept DC at a modest 159/7 in their 20 overs. Rishabh Pant (39) and Rovman Powell (43) were the top scorers for their side. Chasing 160, MI lost their captain Rohit Sharma early for just 2. But knocks from Ishan Kishan (48), Dewald Brevis (37), Tilak Varma (21) and Tim David (34) kept MI in the game and they won it by five wickets.
With this win, MI end its campaign on a high, with two more points. They end their disappointing campaign sitting at bottom of the points tally with eight points. DC end their campaign sitting at fifth with 14 points.
RCB has now qualified for the playoffs after this MI win. They will take on LSG in the eliminator on May 25. Gujarat Titans will take on Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 1 on May 25.
