Ricky Ponting was delighted and pumped as he addressed the Delhi dressing room after their record-setting win against LSG in Lucknow on Friday, April 12.
The legendary Australian was thrilled as he handed out dressing room medals to heroes of their win, Kuldeep Yadav, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Rishabh Pant. However, the head coach made sure he acknowledged the contribution from Shai Hope during their 6-wicket win, only their second victory of the IPL 2024 season.
Ricky Ponting revealed Shai Hope, who was included in the starting XI for only the second time in the season, was slated to come in at No. 3. However, the head coach had to tell him to drop down the order on more than one occasion after Delhi raced to a strong start. Ponting lauded Hope for being the team man and taking the call to drop him down the order sportingly.
Shai Hope eventually walked out at No. 5 and scored a 10-ball 11 as the former finalists became the first team to chase down a target over 160 against LSG in the history of the IPL.
“This man was padded up for No. 3. I had to keep tapping on his shoulders and say ‘you have got to slide down, this is going to happen, we are going to do this’. At the break, I said, look we are going to send Jake out to try and break the game open. He said ‘you do whatever you need to do, I am here to do whatever the team needs me to do’.
“That’s a great attitude to have. That’s what we are all about right? Somedays, it will be your day to go out and do. Somedays, it’s not,” Ricky Ponting said while addressing the dressing room.
DID YOUR JOB BLOODY WELL: PONTING TO MCGURK
Delhi made light work of a 168-run target as they got their campaign back on track with their 2nd win in 6 matches. Prithvi Shaw gave the much-needed boost at the top of the order with a 22-ball 32.
Debutant Jake-Fraser McGurk tore into the LSG bowling unit, smashing a 35-ball 55 on his debut, announcing his arrival in style. The 22-year-old hit 5 sixes, including 3 sixes in an over, as he cracked open the game for the Capitals, leaving coach Ponting impressed.
“You only know one way, but to go out and do that today… you had a job to do and did it bloody well. And the partnership with Rishabh of 77, by the time you were out, the game was done. That’s the impact that you can have on games. That’s what we have been talking about as a coaching group. Awesome, well done,” he added.