Delhi Capitals needed a victory to overtake Royal Challengers Bangalore and qualify for the playoffs, but defeat has instead seen them finish two points behind the Faf du Plessis-led side.

Pant was one of the mainstays of the Delhi Capitals batting effort, making 39 in their total of 160. But his dismissal could have been averted, with the wicketkeeper toe-ending a drive to a ball that would have been called wide had he not made contact.

However, it was in the field when the pressure really began to tell. Delhi Capitals began their defence well, restricting Mumbai Indians to 44 runs in their first nine overs. Dewald Brevis got his side moving with a six and four in consecutive balls, but he could have been the second in a double strike, skying a shot off Kuldeep Yadav, only for Pant to drop the chance.

Brevis added another 11 runs before departing, but it was a blunder one ball later that really cost Delhi Capitals. New batter Tim David was beaten by the first delivery he faced, with Pant leading a lengthy appeal. However, he declined to review, and UltraEdge replays revealed that, had he done so, David would have been dismissed for a golden duck.

At that point, Mumbai Indians needed more than two runs a ball, but David changed the course of the contest, smashing 34 off his next nine balls before falling. The passage included another error from Pant, who opted to review an lbw shout only for ball-tracking to show the delivery had pitched well outside leg-stump.

Mumbai Indians eventually cruised to a five-wicket win with five balls to spare, a result which confirmed Delhi Capitals’ exit from IPL 2022, and Royal Challengers Bangalore’s place in the top four. Despite the victory, Mumbai Indians have finished last in the IPL points table for the first time in their history.