Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
Delhi Capitals have been knocked out of IPL 2021 by Kolkata Knight Riders in a thrilling Qualifier 2 contest on Wednesday. While many cricket experts had predicted that Rishabh Pant's side could lift the trophy in Dubai, their impressive campaign, unfortunately, derailed in the final stages of the tournament as they suffered a hattrick of losses to eventually bow out of the tournament.
The DC players were absolutely dejected after the defeat as they came agonizingly close in both the qualifier matches but fell short. Prithvi Shaw's reaction after the match almost summed up what this young Delhi side would be going through, having come so close to lift their maiden IPL trophy in two successive seasons.
However, there was a slight difference between IPL 2020 and IPL 2021 for the franchise. While Shreyas Iyer was the captain of side last year, it was another youngster in form of Rishabh Pant who was leading his troops this time around. It wasn't an easy outing for Pant in Sharjah and the 24-year-old certainly did not look in the right space of mind when he was interacting with the presenters moments after the completion of the match.
It ended in heartbreak last night: Rishabh Pant
A few hours later, the DC skipper has finally got some time as he reflected on the match and the entire campaign through an emotional Instagram post. He stated, "It ended in heartbreak last night, but I could not be more proud of leading this team of exceptional warriors. We battled hard through the season, and while we may have fallen short on some days, we always gave 100%."
The 24-year-old also expressed his gratitude towards the team management and the fans who have been absolutely brilliant for Delhi Capitals. "To the owners, management, staff, my teammates and most importantly, our passionate fans, I want to say thank you from my heart. You all made this season special," Pant added.
Pant set to stay at Delhi Capitals
While it was amazing for any DC fan to read what Pant wrote in his caption, it was the ending statement that would have doubled their happiness. The explosive wicketkeeper ended the post by stating, "We will come back stronger," suggesting that he will be staying at the franchise for next season with mega auctions set to take place.
While there is no official confirmation on anything by the franchise or the player, it looks like Rishabh Pant will continue to lead the side going forward as the Indian Premier League enters a new era with the arrival of two new teams.