"Won't Lie, It Was On My Mind": Rishabh Pant Opens Up On World Cup 2019 Snub

Rishabh Pant had a point to prove after being left out of the India World Cup 2019 team and the wicketkeeper-batsman sent a timely reminder to the selectors of what they will be missing in England and Wales with a match-winning knock in the RR vs DC IPL 2019 match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Monday night. Following his heroics with the bat that took Delhi Capitals to the top of the IPL 2019 Points Table, Rishabh Pant spoke about the World Cup 2019 snub and how it has been playing on his mind.

"I am feeling lovely. To make your team win in an important match is a good feeling. I won't lie, the selection thought was running in my mind," Rishabh Pant said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

"I focussed on my process and it worked for me."

Rishabh Pant's blistering 78 off just 36 balls not only helped Delhi Capitals cruise to a six-wicket win but also saw them leapfrog Chennai Super Kings (CSK) into top spot on the table, albeit that MS Dhoni's team has a game in hand.

"The wicket was playing good, and I just took advantage of that, I guess. Most important thing for our team is that everyone knows our role, and the support staff tells us, 'this is your role, and this is what is going to happen to you'," added the left-hander.

Rishabh Pant, who was left out of India's squad at the expense of Dinesh Karthik, smashed six fours and four sixes during his stay in the middle.

DC skipper Shreyas Iyer was happy with the way the pitch played, and so was his counterpart Steve Smith.

"When we play away from home, the wickets are so good. We enjoy playing on the rise, and the wickets are perfectly made for them," Iyer said.

"It was important to get a good start in the Powerplay, and Shikhar has been doing that well. The way we've been playing away games and coming back to our home games, we are unaware of how our pitch plays itself."

Delhi Capitals fought back after Rajasthan looked set to cross 200 at one stage.

"We knew they were going to go all out, especially the way Ajinkya was batting. This is a big ground, and the pitch was a belter. The way they started, we were expecting 200, but the bowlers did well to restrict them to 190," Iyer said.

The win lifted Delhi to the top of the table with seven victories and four defeats from 11 outings.

(With PTI Inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Delhi Capitals Rajasthan Royals India Cricket Team Rishabh Pant Dinesh Karthik IPL 2019 World Cup 2019 Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals, Match 40 Cricket