Visakhapatnam, April 1 (IANS) After showing considerable improvement in return to competitive cricket through the first two matches of IPL 2024, Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Rishabh Pant upped his batting progression by offering a throwback to his vintage best through a 32-ball 51 laced with four fours and three sixes in Sunday’s match against Chennai Super Kings.

Promoting himself to number three, Pant was at 23 off 23 balls, before accelerating by making 28 runs in his next eight balls for before holing out to long-off to make a fifty in the IPL for the first time after the 2021 season, which ended in a winning cause as DC beat CSK by 20 runs to get their first victory of the season.

Shane Watson, the former Australia all-rounder who was DC’s assistant coach last year, felt one is not a true human being if Pant’s return to competitive cricket after 14 months of absence due to a car accident in December 2022 doesn’t inspire them in life.

"It's inspirational, no question about it. To think that Rishabh had the ability to do this tonight, after the injuries that he sustained is unbelievable. You're not a true human being if you're not inspired by Rishabh Pant, the way he was able to come out and turn it on like that.”

"It took him a little while to find his feet but once he let those shackles off, he played some ‘Rishabh Pant’ shots, and they were extraordinary. It really was something special. I thought it might take him a few games, if not towards the backend of the IPL, to be able to play an innings like that. But knowing him, that doesn't surprise me. He's so desperate to be the best he possibly can, and that showed tonight," said Watson, an IPL expert, to digital broadcasters JioCinema.

Though CSK could only make 171/6, veteran wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni sent the yellow-wearing majoritarian crowd waving the side’s flags and were endlessly chanting his name as the veteran smashed four fours and three sixes to be unbeaten on 37 off 16 balls, including smacking 20 runs in the final over off Anrich Nortje.

Brett Lee, the former Australia fast-bowler, felt Dhoni needs to come higher up the order for CSK in future games. "The only thing missing is a red suit, it looks like he's Santa Claus with all the kids who are waiting for Christmas. That's the aura that he has. A lot of CSK fans want their team to win, but if Dhoni goes out and slogs a few at the end, they're content.

“However, they'll be disappointed that they lost tonight. The noise when this great man comes out to bat is something else. He was on tonight. What I said on commentary was that he's not rusty one little bit. I do want more from him in terms of getting himself up the order. In terms of batting and keeping, he has been outstanding, his brain is still nice and sharp, but please, get MS Dhoni up the order."