IPL 2021: Virender Sehwag breaks down Rishabh Pant's tactical errors in DC's defeat to KKR

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has reckoned that tactical mistakes made by Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant during the Kolkata Knight Riders’ run-chase cost his side the game in Sharjah on Tuesday afternoon.

Needing 128 to win on what was yet another slow and sluggish surface in Sharjah, KKR romped home in the 19th over thanks to an unbeaten 27-ball 36 by Nitish Rana and a brilliant cameo of 10-ball 21 by Sunil Narine.

Speaking at CricBuzz Live, Sehwag opined that the momentum of the game shifted in KKR’s favor after Rana smoked Lalit Yadav for back-to-back sixes in the 14th over. The Knight Riders needed 52 runs off the last seven overs prior to the onslaught by Rana on Yadav. However, the back-to-back sixes changed the equation completely.

Sehwag reckoned it was a major tactical error by Pant as he dished out the easiest match-up to Rana despite being aware that his Delhi teammate relishes facing spin. Sehwag said:

"I think the game turned into Kolkata's favor when (Nitish) Rana hit two sixes off Lalit Yadav. Rishabh Pant has played with Rana since the start of his career and he knows that the latter relishes batting against left-arm spin. The game turned on its head after that."

Sehwag added:

"If he had bowled (Anrich) Nortje in place of Lalit, and had he dismissed Rana, the required rate would have increased even more. Of course, Rabada also got hit for runs but the momentum actually changed with Lalit's over."

Sehwag also mentioned that had he been in Pant's place, then he would have unleashed his pacers on Rana until they got him out. He said:

‘’If I was there, then I would have bowled all my pacers against Nitish Rana until they got him out."

The Knight Riders picked up a thrilling win by three wickets in the end to keep their hopes of making it to the playoffs alive.

You could have only won this game by taking wickets: Virender Sehwag

The former Delhi Capitals skipper added that Pant made a grave error by not unleashing the pace duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje during the powerplay.

Nortje bowled just one over in the powerplay, as did Avesh Khan while Rabada did not bowl a single ball during the first six overs. Sehwag claimed that had Pant used his pacers in the powerplay then a few early wickets would have set the tone for his spinners during the middle-overs on a slow Sharjah wicket.

Sehwag said:

"Where Rishabh erred as skipper was he bowled his spinners in the powerplay. None of the spinners got the ball to turn. If he had bowled his pacers in the powerplay and had they taken early wickets, then unleashing the spinners during the middle overs would have created problems for KKR batsmen."

Sehwag added:

"If you don't bowl the entire quota of your pacers like Rabada or Nortje, especially in a short game, then how are you going to win the match? You could have only won this game by taking wickets."

As it turned out, none of the Delhi pacers completed their quota of four overs. While Avesh Khan bowled only three overs despite claiming three wickets, Nortje and Rabada bowled 3 and 2.2 overs respectively.