Rishabh Pant made a much-awaited return to cricket after almost 15 months on the sidelines as fans at the new cricket stadium in this Punjab outpost gave him a standing welcome as he walked out to bat on Saturday evening. The talismanic player demonstrated his fitness and 'keeping nous too leading Delhi Capitals, but Punjab Kings didn't oblige beyond extending their warmth to Pant, sealing a four-wicket win in their opening IPL game.

Put into bat, Capitals had a decent start, but all eyes were on Pant as he walked out of the dressing room and to the dugout padded up on Mitch Marsh's dismissal in the fourth over. He sat there intently watching action. It didn't take long, and DRS taken by PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan showed David Warner (29 - 21b) had got a glove to Harshal Patel's slow bouncer.

Few would have thought IPL match No.169 would happen in the early months of Pant's recovery after suffering serious injuries in the car crash in December, 2022. The first ball was sliced to point and he took a single off the second delivery, pushing to midwicket. The instinct was very much there, but the reflexes were a touch slow. It showed when he ran down the track but didn't connect Rahul Chahar's leg break.

There was a brief promise it would be Pant's day when he pulled Chahar and Harshal Patel at the midwicket boundary failed to judge the catch, conceding a four. But Patel made amends with a slower bouncer. Pant could not properly connect the attempted ramp shot which gently looped into the hands of Jonny Bairstow at point. There was a smart stumping of Jitesh Sharma as well, which holds plenty of promise as the DC skipper looks to build on from here.

But PBKS carried the day as far as the larger picture was concerned.

All-rounder Sam Curran had to face the heat from all corners after the IPL 2023 season ended as he failed to produce match-winning performances for Punjab Kings (PBKS), who had shelled out a whopping ₹18.50 crore for the England player in the auction, making him the most expensive buy in IPL. However, PBKS finished a dismal eighth last season.

Questions were raised in the run-up to the IPL 2024 season when the 25-year-old was retained by PBKS. On Saturday, Curran justified the faith reposed by the franchise in him as he proved his mettle by scoring a 47-ball 63 to help PBKS pace their chase of 175, winning with four deliveries to spare.

The script could have been reversed had DC caught Curran on 34. The left-handed all-rounder could not get the clearance as wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav flighted and pulled it back a touch. It was the 14th over. Stubbs ran in but let the ball bounce off his palms as he dived forward.

Curran didn't look back from there, joined by Liam Livingstone, who hit a fiery 21-ball 38 not out. Their 67-run fifth-wicket partnership brought PBKS to within eight runs of the target when Curran was bowled off Khaleel Ahmed's slower delivery in the 19th over.

DC hardly looked like reaching the 174/9, managing only 149/8 after 19 overs. However, they threw in Abishek Porel as the impact sub and he lashed a 10-ball 32 not out, with three fours and two sixes in the last over by Patel that went for 25 runs.

Capitals' hopes were also dealt a blow when Ishant Sharma had to go off the field after twisting his ankle while fielding. He had bowled two overs and removed Dhawan for 22. He had also run out Bairstow, who was stranded after Ishant touched the ball on to the stumps on his follow through.

Pant was disappointed with the result but pleased to make his comeback.

"Personally, I was pretty nervous but you have to go through this when you enter the field. This isn't the first time being nervous, but happy about that (return)."

The DC skipper bemoaned Ishant's injury. "Ishant's injury was a big blow. Abhishek Porel came in and chipped in with a few runs which were crucial. We had a par score, but were a bowler short because of an injury; we can't do much about it."

A delighted Curran said: "I am really pleased with the result. I did not know how the pitch would play. There is nothing better than starting with a win at home. We thought we could take it deep with them being a bowler down (and it worked)."

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