A day before Delhi Capitals’ crucial IPL 2024 lash with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, their captain Rishabh Pant lost an appeal for a one-match ban handed out to him after his team was found to have maintained a slow over-rate for the third time this season.
DC coach Ricky Ponting, Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly and Pant himself attended the hearing after the franchise filed an appeal against the suspension, citing various arguments behind the over-rate not being maintained.
However, in the absence of a concrete evidence, the decision of the match referee was upheld and DC lost their appeal.
Pant though was angry at copping the punishment, revealed his DC teammate Axar Patel.
“Rishabh was angry about being banned, bowlers are late but the captain gets punished,” Axar, who led DC in Pant’s absence on Sunday, said at the match toss in Bengaluru.
“But he’s at the ground, is motivated and has told us not to feel like he’s not with us and focus on the process,” he added.
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DC lost the contest to RCB and the result has severely dented their hopes of making it to the playoffs. They were guilty of dropping as many as four catches – twice each of Rajat Patidar and Will Jacks.
“Dropped catches hurt us,” Axar said after the match. “Could’ve restricted them to 150. When you lose four wickets in powerplay, you’re always chasing the game. 160-170 would’ve been a par score.”
“Pitch was two-paced. Some were skidding, some were holding. When your main players are run out and you lose four in powerplay, you’re chasing the game. Anything can happen, but haven’t thought that far ahead,” he added.
DC are currently sixth on the IPL points table and are theoretically still in the playoff contention. However, they will need other results to go their way in order to make the top-four now.
DC next face Lucknow Super Giants in what will be their final league match of IPL 2024.
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