New Delhi: Delh Daredevils might have lost their opening clash of the 10th edition of Indian Premier League to Royal Challengers Bangalore but Rishabh Pant’s incredible half-century right after performing father’s last rites is worthy of utmost respect.
Ahead of the clash, Delhi Daredevil’s coach Paddy Upton, offered condolences to Rishabh’s family and was quoted saying by Sportskeeda, “Rishabh is joining us sometime in the evening. The whole team will rally around Rishabh and give him support. He is a young man. It is very, very difficult, particularly when this happens in the family.”
Upton further added, “(He’s a) young man. So, we’re going to really need the whole team to rally around him to give him a lot of support not only over the next couple of days but throughout the IPL. Something like this is obviously going to affect him in the medium and long term. We just have to be mindful and supportive of his personal situation and family situation.”
Rajendra Pant, Rishabh’s father, passed away in his sleep in Roorkee on Wednesday following cardiac arrest. The 19-year-old then travelled to perform his father’s last rites before re-joining the Delhi Daredevils camp and then scoring a gritty fifty, albeit in a losing cause.
Chasing 158 for a win, Delhi ended at 142 for 9 and young Rishabh Pant’s 57 off 36 balls went in vain as RCB bounced back from their defeat against defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament opener on April 5.
Pant might have gone on to win the match for Delhi on his own but the team kept losing wickets at regular intervals in the light of some tight bowling from RCB and none of their specialist batsmen did stay for long to give company to Pant. He eventually got out in the final over of the match as Delhi ended the innings at 142 for 9 to lose their first match of the tournament.
Pant went through a similar fate like that of Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, both of whom played soon after the demise of their respective father’s in the past. While Kohli had turned out for Delhi’ Ranji Trophy encounter, Tendulkar had donned the Indian colours in a World Cup match soon after paying homeage to his father
Source: Zee News