The Rise of Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson – Via Rahul Dravid

The IPL is ‘where talent meets opportunity’. And Pant and Samson proved this to be true in Delhi’s record chase.

Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson lit up the cricketing world with a dazzling display of stroke play. (Photo: BCCI)

Thursday night at the Feroz Shah Kotla was a perfect example of what’s good about the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Twenty20 league’s slogan says it’s a place where ‘talent meets opportunity’ – which is exactly what happened with two young Delhi Daredevils batsmen on Thursday.

One has shown the glimpse of his talent many a times and the other is coming on the back of an outstanding domestic season with a reputation of being the next big thing in Indian cricket.

Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant lit up the cricketing world with a dazzling display of stroke play in the IPL 10 match against Gujarat Lions.

Chasing Records Despite All Odds

Their back was up against the wall in every sense – not only in this match but in the context of the entire tournament.

From where they are standing, every game is a knock-out for them. One more slip-up and Delhi Daredevils won’t have a chance to qualify for the next stage of the competition. On top of it, they were chasing records and history in Thursday’s match.

Delhi's successful chase of 208 is the second highest in the history of the IPL and the highest at Kotla.

Chasing anything above 200 is never an easy task and the Delhi Daredevils batting line-up isn’t a star-studded one. However, what they do have is promise. And what they needed was belief.

Samson and Pant believed in themselves and backed their abilities to go and do the job for their team. And they did it with élan.

(Photo: AP)

There was method in their madness. A good batting wicket and short boundaries assisted them in playing their strokes. What helped their cause was they picked the right balls to execute their plans. Together, Pant and Samson hit 16 sixes – which was equal to almost half the target they had to chase. And they made it look ridiculously easy.

Sometime the teams which are in this kind of position look threatening. It inspires them, pushes them and stimulates them to play fearless cricket.  It awakens their pride and drives them to chase glory. Going by the last two games, that seems like the case with Delhi. First they managed to floor Sunrisers Hyderabad and now they have crushed Gujarat Lions.

Dravid’s Influence Behind the Scenes

Rahul Dravid, who has been working with the same group for over two years now, has served as a good mentor for them. He has been the spearhead of the India-A programme, where he has worked with most of them very closely.

Rahul Dravid (centre) interviews Rishabh Pant (left) and Sanju Samson (right). (Photo: BCCI)

Dravid’s strength is the fact that he is an avid learner despite being a legend of the game. And he instils this craving to learn in everyone he works with. Consider some of the players that he has helped nurture. From Jayant Yadav to KL Rahul, from Karun Nair to Rishabh Pant – he not only crafts their cricket skills but also brings balance to their overall perspective.

Without any doubt, he has been teaching them to handle their success and manage their failures, which in a way stabilises them and provides them the tools to stay at the summit.

If compared to climbing the Everest, domestic cricket is the base camp and the journey to international cricket is like reaching the peak.

It doesn’t matter how good a climber you are, you still need guidance from your guide, from someone who has been there and done that. Dravid is playing a role of that Sherpa who mostly stays behind the scenes but ensures that these cricketers, whenever they turn out, come across as complete cricketers.

(Photo: BCCI)

We all may like the teams that are studded with the stars but you also need teams like Delhi, which is built on the philosophy of collecting players who would play and work as a unit.

The inspiration for this philosophy is the famous ‘Moneyball’ theory, named after the Oakland Athletics baseball team's 2002 season and their general manager Billy Beane's attempts to create a team on the basis of every player bringing value for their money.

And for that reason alone, you would like such a team to stay in the tournament as long as possible. Because it brings a very different perspective and character to the league that’s usually in the limelight for the glamour, money and star power.

Coming back to these two cubs of Indian cricket, they got an idea on Thursday about how to make the big kills. The experience of winning this game will go a long way in building their confidence and shaping their plans for the future.

Meanwhile, this is probably what their coach Dravid would be reminding them constantly: Friday night is history, the next match is a new challenge and this win doesn’t change their equations in the league.

And, more importantly, when they face the next ball in a cricket match, the scoreboard will again read zero.

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