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The inaugural season of the Delhi Premier League kicked off on August 17, with the Purani Dilli 6 taking on the South Delhi Superstars at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The Rishabh Pant-led side ended on the losing side of the game despite scoring 197/3 in the first innings.
Former Indian cricket and veteran pacer, Ishant Sharma, although a part of the 20-member squad of the Dilli 6, didn’t get to feature in the Playing XI, as Pant and the team management went ahead with youngsters.
However, it didn’t prevent Ishant from expressing how thrilled he was to be part of the nascently-introduced tournament, even more due to the fact that it was happening in his hometown for the first time. The 35-year-old, brimming with experience of 165 T20s, had a motivating message for the youngsters in his team.
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“I’m very excited for the Delhi Premier League. The league is happening for the first time in Delhi. My message for the young players is to keep working hard and believing in your abilities, this format might be cruel but if you trust your abilities and work hard, you can do wonders in any format,” stated Ishant as quoted by a Purani Dilli 6 press release.
The lanky pacer also commented on gaining valuable gametime alongside the likes of the bubbly Pant, and also communicated on the kind of relationship they shared on the field and even otherwise.
“I have been playing alongside Rishabh for so long, so playing with him is always a pleasure for me,” added Ishant.
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The opening pair of right-arm medium pacer, Divij Mehra, and left-arm seamer, Kuldip Yadav, were expensive against the Superstars. Both of them conceded 30 and 34 runs, respectively, and weren’t entrusted by Pant to complete their quota. It will be interesting to see when Ishant will be included into the setup.