Rishabh Pant’s wicket was more than just another dismissal on the scorecard -- it was the moment Delhi’s chase began to collapse, and Odisha sensed blood in a crucial Vijay Hazare Trophy contest at the Alur Cricket Stadium in Bengaluru.
Chasing 273, Delhi lost their captain at a crucial moment, and with it, the chase began to unravel as the less-fancied Odisha carved out a huge 79-run victory in the fourth-round Group D encounter.
Odisha were sent into dreamland when Debabrata Pradhan removed Pant, knocking over the biggest obstacle in the pursuit. The dismissal came soon after a dramatic reprieve -- Sambit Baral had bowled Pant off a no-ball in the previous over --but the escape was brief. Pradhan struck with a fair delivery, triggering a collapse that left Delhi reeling at six wickets down with plenty still required.
Leading the side, Pant endured another underwhelming outing, scoring 24 off 28 balls. It was an innings that never found rhythm, offering little release in a chase that demanded authority and clarity.
With the national selectors set to announce the squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand in first week of January, it was the charismatic India keeper-batter who was the focus of attention.
But the feisty cricketer failed to deliver as the much-vaunted Delhi batting imploded, managing just 193 in 43.3 overs in the chase of an immensely gettable 272/8 scored by Odisha after being sent in to bat first.
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.
Odisha went top of the table with 12 points and a healthy net run rate (NRR), while Delhi, despite being on the same number of points, slipped to fourth, with even Railways and Haryana getting ahead of them on better NRR.
Pant's failure stood out not just for its timing, but for what it represents in a crowded selection season. Every Pant dismissal is now magnified, particularly in a format where his place is no longer assured by reputation alone.
In the previous match, he managed just 22 while chasing 321 against Saurashtra, an innings that did little to strengthen his case.
That is where the wicketkeeper-batter debate sharpens. KL Rahul remains the established ODI option, while others continue to press their claims with consistent domestic performances.
Pant has shown what his best in ODIs can look like. Just three days earlier, he scored 70 against Gujarat, coming in after Virat Kohli’s 77 and playing a controlled role in a seven-run win.
It was the kind of innings that highlights his value in the format. The challenge, though, is consistency. Those knocks need to become a regular feature, not isolated reminders.
In another Group D game, Saurashtra defeated Andhra by 74 runs with right-arm pacer Ankur Panwar taking a five-for and dismissing the rivals for 180 in the chase of 255.
Brief scores:
Odisha 272 for 8 in 50 overs (Biplab Samantray 72; Hrithik Shokeen 4/27, Prince Yadav 2/57) beat Delhi 193 in 42.3 overs (Harsh Tyagi 43; Rajesh Mohanty 2/42, Debabrata Pradhan 3/28, Sambit Baral 3/34) by 79 runs.
Saurashtra 254 for 7 in 50 overs (Harvik Desai 61, Chirag Jani 69, Ruchit Ahir 76; Satyanarayana Raju 3/45, Kalidindi Raju 2/64) beat Andhra 180 in 47.2 overs (Ankur Panwar 5/27) by 74 runs.
Gujarat 283 all out in 47.4 overs (Jaymeet Patel 75; Zubair Ali 2/38, Karn Sharma 2/38, Raj Choudhary 3/57) lost to Railways 287 for 6 in 48 overs (Chintan Gaja 2/35) by 4 wickets.
Services 271 for 8 in 50 overs (Irfan Ali 103 not out, Nakul Sharma 72; Anshul Kamboj 443) lost to Haryana 275 for 3 in 43.1 overs (Ankit Kumar 144 not out, Himanshu Rana 64; Nitin Yadav 2/35). by seven wickets.
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