Premier Australia batter Steve Smith heaped praise on Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant for his ferocious knock against Chennai Super Kings. Pant led his team from the front as he also regained his form after the return to competitive cricket. The southpaw looked a bit rusty at the start of the innings but got his rhythm back after getting set. He went on to score 51 runs.

The skipper gave a much-needed push to DC’s innings in death overs as they posted a formidable 191/5 in front of defending champions CSK. Pant, who came into the tournament after recovering from injuries he suffered during a horrific car accident in December 2022, belted four boundaries and three maximums for his first fifty in 15 months.

Smith was highly impressed with Pant’s composed knock as he suggested that the DC skipper was under pressure but he took the time to get settled and broke the shackles at the right moment.

“Yeah, there was (pressure when Pant walked into bat). But he played his natural game. Yes, he took a little bit of time to get going, like he did in the first two matches where he didn’t quite kick on. Today, he looked really calm and composed. He chose the right time to go, chose the right moments and the areas to hit,” Steve Smith said while speaking on Star Sports.

The talismanic Aussie batter further asserted that the knock brought back the memories of vintage Rishabh Pant which everyone was waiting for.

“He just looked vintage Rishabh like he hadn’t been gone anywhere. That’s great to see for everyone who’s been waiting for him to come out and do this. It’s great to see him bat like this. Hopefully, he can keep it up,” he added.

Meanwhile, Pant’s knock helped DC register their first win of the season outclassing the five-time champions CSK. The DC bowlers, especially pacers Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar, rattled the CSK batters while defending the 192-run target and despite veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s cracking 16-ball 37 not out, the defending champions were 20 runs short.