Ashish Pant

Bangalore, India

Sub-Editor at ESPN Cricinfo

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Articles

Mohit Sharma: Use of saliva is 100% helping the ball reverse swing

1 week ago | espn.in | Ashish Pant |Nagraj Gollapudi

Delhi Capitals (DC) fast bowler Mohit Sharma is enjoying the use of saliva on the ball again and says the ball is reverse swinging more in IPL 2025 after the rule was changed for this season. Another rule to come into effect this IPL was giving the team bowling second the option of changing the ball after ten overs - whether there was dew or not - which is also "making a difference" for the bowlers.
'I don't think about failures' - Priyansh Arya will go where his instincts take him

1 week ago | espn.in | Ashish Pant

Punjab Kings (PBKS) opener Priyansh Arya is your quintessential T20 cricketer. Young, uninhibited, fearless, whose instincts tell him to hit every ball out of the ground irrespective of the match situation. It's pretty straightforward. First ball of the innings or last, if the ball is in his zone, it must be out of the ground. A simple see-ball-hit-ball approach. These instincts told him to whack the first ball he faced from Chennai Super Kings' [CSK] Khaleel Ahmed for six over deep point.
IPL: KL Rahul hands RCB another loss in Bengaluru

2 weeks ago | risingnepaldaily.com | Ashish Pant

By Ashish Pant, April 11 (ESPN CRICINFO): It started so well for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Then, for 15-odd overs, it didn't. Then it suddenly started going to plan again. The RCB loyalists, who had packed the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to the rafters, found their voice. Only to have local lad KL Rahul silence them.
Unbeaten Capitals 'still have some issues' with their batting

2 weeks ago | espn.in | Ashish Pant |Alagappan Muthu

With Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam, Delhi Capitals (DC) have arguably the best spin attack in IPL 2025. But are DC also the most balanced side in the competition, given that Axar and Nigam's all-round skills add depth to their batting order and provide six bowling options without having to think too much?
Behind-the-wicket lessons told Rahul 'what pockets to target' on tacky Chinnaswamy pitch

2 weeks ago | espn.in | Ashish Pant |Alagappan Muthu

Keeping wicket for 20 overs and understanding the ground dimensions and the "pockets to target" went a long way in KL Rahul adjusting to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium surface as he smashed an unbeaten 53-ball 93 to lead Delhi Capitals' (DC) to victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Thursday night. Rahul knows the Bengaluru conditions better than most players. He has played professional cricket in the city almost his entire career, being a Karnataka boy.
The horror! You have to graft for runs at the Chinnaswamy now

2 weeks ago | espn.in | Alagappan Muthu |Ashish Pant

On a scale of 1 to 10, for ease of run-scoring, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium probably doesn't make it. On a scale of paradise to heaven on the other hand…There was a man who called this place his home and by the end of his career he had so many century celebrations - Chris Gayle must have been practicing those too. Possibly after getting bored at the nets.
Tim David's late flourish lifts RCB to 163 after batting collapse

2 weeks ago | espn.in | Ashish Pant

First three overs: 53 runs, Last two overs: 36 runs, 15 overs in between: 74 runs. In what was a bizarre innings, Delhi Capitals (DC) restricted Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to 163 for 7 in their second away match in IPL 2025. But, for a while, it seemed the narrative would be a lot different. Sent into bat, Phil Salt had just one agenda on mind: to send every ball he faced out of the stadium.
Indian Premier League

2 weeks ago | espn.in | Ashish Pant |Alagappan Muthu

Delhi Capitals 169 for 4 (Rahul 93*, Stubbs 38*, Bhuvneshwar 2-26) beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru 163 for 7 (Salt 37, David 37*, Kuldeep 2-17, Nigam 2-18) by six wicketsIt started so well for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Then, for 15-odd overs, it didn't. Then it suddenly started going to plan again. The RCB loyalists, who had packed the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to the rafters, found their voice. Only to have local lad KL Rahul silence them.
'Axar makes players feel included' as DC captain - Matthew Mott

2 weeks ago | espn.in | Ashish Pant |Shashank Kishore

Axar Patel is not the "only voice" in the Delhi Capitals (DC) changeroom and he makes sure to "leverage off a lot of the other senior players in the group and the coaches". That's the assessment of the newly instated DC captain according to assistant coach Matthew Mott. Axar has had a sensational start to his DC captaincy career, winning three out of three games so far with the team atop the points table, as things stand. This, despite not having a lot of experience in the role.
'Scientist' Sai Kishore shows off his new inventions

3 weeks ago | espn.in | Shashank Kishore |Ashish Pant

In 2016, when 20-year-old rookie R Sai Kishore found himself in a heated altercation with N Jagadeesan and exchanged angry words with R Ashwin during a Tamil Nadu Premier League match, his fiery intensity seemed misplaced. "If you want to take on Ashwin, bowl like him," they told him at the time.