India keeper Rishabh Pant, the center of attention ahead of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home, managed just 24 runs as his Delhi side suffered a 79-run defeat to Odisha in the Vijay Hazare Trophy’s fourth-round Group-D match on Wednesday.
The Delhi batting faltered, managing just 193 in 43.3 overs while chasing Odisha’s 272 for 8, and were all out despite the target being within reach.
Delhi’s innings have largely been built around one solid batting performance so far this season. But the absence of one on Wednesday cost them not just the match but also their top position on the points table, which could come back to haunt them as the tournament progresses.
It was also the first time so far this season that Delhi could not cross 200, something which looked so easy when Virat Kohli slammed a century against Andhra in the opener, and opener Priyansh Arya scored a fine 78 in the previous game against Saurashtra.
Pant has so far scored only 5, 70, and 22 in the tournament. He was dismissed by pacer Debabrata Pradhan (3/28), who, along with young right-arm pacer Sambit Baral (3/34), hastened Delhi’s collapse.
