NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant's unbeaten 88 powered the Delhi Capitals to a tense IPL victory over the Gujarat Titans on Wednesday, bolstering his chances of securing a spot in India's T20 World Cup squad.
Delhi set a formidable total of 224-4, courtesy of a 113-run partnership between Pant and fellow left-hander Axar Patel, who scored 66, after the team found themselves at 44-3 within the first six overs at their home ground, the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
The hosts held Gujarat to 220-8, securing victory by four runs despite David Miller's 23-ball 55 and an unbeaten 21 off 11 balls from Rashid Khan.
Mukesh Kumar held his composure in the final over, ensuring Delhi's fourth win in nine matches and keeping their playoff hopes alive in the T20 tournament.
Pant, 26, marked his third half-century of the season after a 14-month hiatus from top-level cricket due to a severe car accident in December 2022, which caused multiple injuries and required surgery.
Not only has Pant excelled with the bat in the IPL, but his sharp skills behind the stumps have led Delhi's director of cricket Sourav Ganguly and coach Ricky Ponting to support his return to the national team for the upcoming World Cup in June.
Emerging Australian batsman Jake Fraser-McGurk provided Delhi with a strong start, scoring 23 off 14 balls, but medium-pacer Sandeep Warrier claimed three wickets, including two in one over.
Patel, promoted to number three in the batting order, reached his half-century with a boundary off Rashid Khan before being caught at long-on by another Afghan spinner, Noor Ahmad.
Pant brought up his half-century in dramatic fashion with a six off Mohit Sharma and later plundered the medium-pacer in a 31-run 20th over, finishing with a six, a four, and three sixes, electrifying the crowd.
South African Tristan Stubbs watched Pant's onslaught from the other end, contributing an unbeaten 26 off seven balls, including a blistering over in the 19th that yielded 22 runs.
In response, Gujarat suffered the loss of captain Shubman Gill for just six runs off Anrich Nortje before impact substitute Sai Sudarshan smashed 65 off 39 balls.
Gujarat continued to lose wickets, but Miller's aggressive play, including three sixes and a four off Nortje, kept Delhi on their toes before he departed in the 18th over.
Rashid continued the fight until the end as Gujarat required 19 runs in the final over and five runs on the last ball.
