Rishabh Pant features in his 100th IPL encounter: Key stats
Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant is set to feature in his 100th Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter. DC's second encounter of the season, against the Rajasthan Royals, marks the milestone match for Pant. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter recently returned to competitive cricket after recovering from the injuries he suffered during a fatal car crash. Pant's comeback match saw him score 18(13) against the Punjab Kings.
Pant made his debut in 2016
Pant, the mainstay Indian wicketkeeper-batter in Test and ODI cricket, made his IPL debut in 2016. DC bought him for Rs. 1.90 crore ahead of the season. The left-hander made ordinary returns in his debut season (198 runs at 24.75), but DC backed him. As a result, he smashed a record-breaking 684 runs at 52.61 in 2018 (one century).
Over 2,800 runs in IPL
Eight years later, Pant has emerged as the nucleus of DC's batting order. Before his 100th IPL match, the DC batter racked up 2,856 runs from 99 games at an average of 34.41. The wicket-keeper dasher has hammered 15 fifties and a solitary ton in the competition (SR: 147.90). Pant has also captained DC in 31 IPL matches while guiding them to 16 wins.
Return to professional cricket
As mentioned, Pant made his comeback to professional cricket in DC's IPL 2024 opener. The deadly car crash forced him to miss several marquee events, including the IPL 2023. Pant met with a fatal car accident while driving near Roorkee on December 30. He sustained several cuts and fractures throughout his body. After months of rehabilitation, the 26-year-old has finally returned to action.
The tale of Pant's captaincy
Pant was named DC's captain for the 2021 IPL season after regular skipper Shreyas Iyer was ruled out due to injury. The former helped DC reach Qualifier 2 in that season. Therefore, DC retained Pant as their skipper for the following season.
First DC player with 100 appearances
As per ESPNcricinfo, Pant is the first DC player with 100 IPL appearances. Amit Mishra, who plays for LSG, made 99 appearances for the Capitals. Shreyas Iyer is next with 87 appearances.
