Rishabh Pant was batting on 97, off only 43 deliveries, and was on the verge of a well-deserved century. But it was not to be. Basil Thampi bowled one full outside off, Pant tried to hit it with his usual disdain for such deliveries but edged it straight to keeper Dinesh Karthik.

For a split second, everything was frozen: Was there a knick? Was he going to fall three short? Then the umpire raised his finger and Pant’s face crumbled. He started his reluctant walk back to the dugout, but not before the opposition captain Suresh Raina came over and gave him an encouraging pat. That gesture said a lot. We had just witnessed a very special knock, one that forced even the rivals to applaud.

Raina consoling Rishabh Pant after his wicket. Screengrab

When Gujarat Lions put up a mammoth 208 on Thursday night, few would have given Delhi Daredevils a chance, the successful chase against Sunrisers notwithstanding. This was the team that had already been dismissed for 67. And when Karun Nair, the captain who had powered the chase of 186 in the last game was dismissed in only the third over, a loss looked a lot more probable.

But what we got instead, was possibly the best match of the tenth edition of the Indian Premier League. The most one-sided chase of over 200 in T20 cricket. An exhibition of fearless, flamboyant, fantastic batting. And a glimpse into the future.

A 19-year-old Rishabh Pant (97 off 43 balls) and 22-year-old Sanju Samson (61 off 31 balls ) forged an incredible partnership of 143 in only 63 balls at a run rate of almost 14 to bring down a chase of 209 to almost a run-a-ball. The Daredevils beat Gujarat Lions by seven wickets with almost three overs to spare. The more you say it, the more implausible it sounds. It was that kind of a match.

On Thursday, both Pant and Samson built a partnership that showcased their strength. Where Pant was fiery, Samson was fierce. Where Pant was brutal, Samson was belligerent. Where Pant was strong, Samson was stylish. Together, their power and panache and positive appraoch were an unstoppable force.

Pant and Samson took the attack to the bowlers, hitting the good balls over the ropes and absolutely demolishing the bad ones. They didn’t let any bowler settle in, even as Raina rotated his options incessantly. They kept the run rate sky-high, even as the asking rate piped down. With five overs to go, the asking rate was about six. Even then, the two did not stop for breath. In fact, both were dismissed going for their shots.

The innings saw 20 sixes and Samson hit seven of them without a single four. Yet, it was not dominated by conventional slogs or a lazy hit over the short boundary. It was an exhibition of clean hitting, powerful strikes meant for T20 cricket.

It was a well-built innings from the two youngsters. The combined age of Pant and Samson is 41 – less than that of Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, as Harsha Bhogle pointed out after the match. Yet, they batted with all the skill and composure of veterans. It was a testament of the sheer flair, tempered with a solid cricketing brains, that these two youngsters possess. Many can have raw power, but to channelise that into smart cricket is rare.

Potential to performance

But while Pant and Samson’s absolutely ballistic, match-winning partnership was the highlight of the match and perhaps the season, the coming good of two of India’s most exciting, upcoming batsmen is a highlight for Indian cricket’s future.

That Pant and Samson are two of the most talented young batsmen in India, is an established fact. Pant, at only 19, has a strike rate of over 107 in Ranji Trophy and has scored a First Class 300 at almost run-a-ball. Samson, on the other hand, has shown what he is capable of in previous editions of the IPL with the Rajasthan Royals. But Thursday’s slam-bang display was not only about the immense talent these two possess, it was about how Pant and Samson may have finally found the key to translate their potential into performance and their capability into consistency.

Pant had poor figures of 34, 3, 6, 0, 0, in his last five matches for Delhi. Samson had better but still inconsistent figures of 24, 5, 60, 9, 42. Both had shown a glimpse of their capability early this season – Rant had scored a fluent 57 in Delhi’s opening match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, while Samson had smacked a superlative century in only their second match, against Rising Pune Supergiant. Their early performance had given Delhi supporters renewed hope in a youth-centric team. However, neither of them could consistently bring in the goods and the Daredevils had slumped to a five-match losing streak, including the disastrous 67 all out against Kings XI Punjab.

But that terrible defeat seemed to be the catalyst for the then bottom-ranked side. In the two matches since, they turned a new leaf and shown us just why Delhi Daredevils, Rahul Dravid and the rest have persisted with them. In a sense, the 10-wicket loss to Punjab couldn’t have come at a better time.

In the last game, Delhi showed their team ethic, with each of the Top five getting among runs and making a substantial contribution in a chase of over 180. In this game, they showed off their individual brilliance, in a chase of over 200. More importantly, Delhi have kept their playoff chances alive with eight points in the bag and four matches to go. If they continue at this breathtaking pace, they could go ahead and win all of them to sneak into the final four. Even if they don’t, Delhi have shown that they have enough credit in the bank to still light up the tournament with India’s brightest rising stars.