'He came straight to the ground from the airport' - Pravin Amre provides insight into Rishabh Pant's preparation prior to IPL 2024 exploits

Rishabh Pant was on song against Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday. Coming into bat when DC had lost three wickets within the 50-run mark, he steadied the ship along with Axar Patel. Having seen through the critical phase of the game, Pant unleashed mayhem at the backend of the innings. His onslaught was imminent when he took veteran Mohit Sharma to the cleaners in the 20^th over of the first innings.

The southpaw garnered 31 runs in the penultimate over of the innings and propelled DC’s total to a further high. He smashed an unbeaten 88 runs in just 43 deliveries at a strike rate of 204. DC’s batting coach, Pravin Amre has provided insight into the batter's mindset prior to his match-winning knock. He also recalled the moment when the Pant came straightaway to the ground from the airport ahead of training camp in Vizag.

“He (Pant) started with a two-week camp in Vizag, he came there, he prepared himself very well. I remember when he came for the Vizag camp, he came straight to the ground from the airport. He was hungry and made sure everyday he is going to utilise. It is all about his hard work, which is paying him,” Amre said at the post-match press conference.

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“And obviously a couple of good knocks gave him the confidence and today we saw a special knock. Finishing was important, and we saw how Rishabh single-handedly got 31 runs against an experienced bowler (Mohit Sharma), and that really says that he is in good form,” he added.

Partnership Axar had with Rishabh was striking: Amre

When Jake Fraser McGurk and Prithvi Shaw departed early, DC needed an innings to anchor the proceedings. Therefore, Axar was promoted up the order. He played cautiously and sent the loose balls sailing. Amre commended the all-rounder's effort and his ability to bat when the team requires his services the most.

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“Axar played very well, but the partnership he had with Rishabh was striking. We were also struggling, like 46 odd runs we got in the powerplay with three wickets down. Axar has shown and that (partnership) was the reason that we got 96 runs in the last 5 overs,” Amre concluded.