Rajkot: A superb batting display by young Rishabh Pant (69 off 40 balls) and Quinton de Kock (46 off 45 balls) helped Zaheer Khan-led Delhi Daredevils beat Gujarat Lions by eight wickets and 16 balls remaining in the IPL match played at at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot on Tuesday.
In all praise for the youngsters, Zaheer Khan said he just trying to keep up with the young energy around him. “The effort on the field needs to be applauded. The focus is on giving everyone freedom to express themselves and allow them to play the brand of cricket they best know. We take into consideration lot of factors and go into each and every game with a specific plan. The guys who are not playing understand that. A happy team is a winning team, and that's what you are seeing. Rishabh Pant was amazing. Batting with Quinton would have helped. We have two back-to-back games, so the idea is to just let the boys do what they want to do tonight and then regroup,” said the skipper.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Lions skipper Suresh Raina said, “It's disappointing. We didn't bat well in the first six overs, which I thought cost us the game. Dwayne Bravo's variation and knowledge of T20 cricket was missed. We still have a long way to go. I want to thank the crowd here in Rajkot for backing us. We chased well here. But sometimes you don't really know how many runs you have to put on the board. We don't have to panic. We will have a few meetings and see how it goes.”
Rishabh Pant, the Player of the Match, said, “It's pleasure playing for this team. I'm a youngster, and it's great to receive the support of the captain and coach. It's great to play under Rahul Dravid.”
