IPL 2022: "Rishabh Pant needs to keep his ego aside and look at bigger picture"

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra believes Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Rishabh Pant will need to play a responsible knock against the Mumbai Indians (MI) if he wants to take his team to the playoffs.

The 24-year-old has got off to a number of starts this season but hasn't quite converted any of them into a match-winning knock. The 44-year-old reckons Pant might need to curb his natural instincts a bit and think about pacing his innings for the team's welfare.

Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra explained why this innings will be an acid test for Pant. He said:

"Rishabh Pant needs to keep his ego aside and look at the bigger picture. He is a much more capable player than his performances have suggested so far. Whenever Delhi have won, his average hasn't been great. So there hasn't been a match-winning contribution."

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DC haven't done justice to Sarfaraz Khan: Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra has also been baffled with the way DC have made use of talented batter Sarfaraz Khan. The 24-year-old has constantly been in and out of the side throughout the season and that has taken a toll on his confidence.

DC also didn't bat him at his usual number in the middle-order whenever he got an opportunity. However, in their previous game, Sarfaraz was allowed to open the innings and he made an instant impact, scoring a quickfire 32(16).

Having found the right partner for David Warner in the absence of Prithvi Shaw, Aakash Chopra is hopeful that DC will stick to Sarfaraz at the top of the order. He stated:

"They haven't done justice to Sarfaraz. He should have got more games, was batting really well. But they decided to leave him out a bit too early."

DC will be sweating on Shaw's fitness since he has been an impact player for them at the top of the order. However, that would once again put a question mark on Sarfaraz's place in the team.