Hyderabad: The Delhi Capitals camp will be full of joy ahead of the forthcoming Indian Premier League as the National Cricket Academy (NCA) gave clearance to star batter Rishabh Pant to feature in the tournament for Delhi Capitals who are eyeing their maiden title after two back-to-back unforgettable seasons.
Capitals witnessed a series of poor performances from swashbuckling opener Prithvi Shaw, all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, Yash Dhull, Mustafizur Rahman, and Anrich Nortje in the previous season. They also badly missed the services of wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant who was absent from the competition after suffering a fatal car crash. The team failed to deliver as per their potential under the leadership of veteran David Warner and ended up in the ninth spot on the points table last year. After a couple of dismal editions, they will endeavour to play attacking cricket in 2024 and clinch the coveted trophy. So let’s just delve into their squad and understand their strengths, weaknesses, Threats and opportunities.
Strength:
Powerful top-order
Delhi Capitals will count on David Warner and Prithvi Shaw to score a bulk of runs and give blistering starts to the franchise in the upcoming season. Shaw went through a lean patch last year scoring only 106 runs at an average of 13.22 in eight matches. However, he has picked up form with an exceptional century (159 off 185 balls) for 41-time champion Mumbai against Chattisgarh in a group-stage encounter in the Ranji Trophy. Warner, on the other hand, was the sixth-highest run-getter in the last season but his strike rate was not in accordance with the situation on a few occasions.
Mitchell Marsh had a brilliant last season with the ball, claiming 12 wickets in nine matches at an average of 14.17. But he was short of runs with the bat and scored just 128 runs at an average of just 14.22. He has now become the captain of the mighty Australian side and would be keen to showcase his prowess ahead of the T20 World Cup, which is set to kick off a few days later after the conclusion of the cash-rich league.
Fearless overseas middle-order batters
The inclusion of England batter Harry Brook, and South African all-rounder Tristian Stubbs makes for a duo of aggressive batters. These two can strengthen the middle order by taking the attack to the opposition.
Brook faced a lot of criticism for failing to justify his worth of INR 13.25 Crore last year. However, he has a strike rate of 144.68 in T20Is and 150.09 in T20s which showcases his ability to flourish in the shortest format as well. Stubbs has an impressive strike rate of 155.19 and the duo can form a lethal pair in the lower order.
Pace Attack:
The likes of Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Jhye Richardson, and Lungi Ngidi will bolster the Capitals’ fast-bowling unit. Ishant is performing well consistently for Delhi in the domestic circuit and had a decent outing last year. South African speedster Ngidi, will share the ball with his countrymate Anrich Nortje and India pacer Mukesh Kumar. Ngidi has 25 wickets from 14 fixtures with a strike rate of 12.96 while Nortje has scalped 53 wickets from 40 matches with a strike rate of 17.40 in the Indian Premier League.
Weakness:
Absence of experienced match finishers
Delhi have only Rishabh Pant as a reliable finisher in their team. In the skipper’s absence last year, Axar Patel donned the role, producing some quickfire knocks but didn’t succeed in taking the team home. They had a chance to rope in one or two experienced finishers, but the franchise didn’t prefer to do so in the bidding war. They have all-rounder Lalit Yadav in the team but he can’t be considered a reliable finisher.
After the auction, the DC owner mentioned that ‘they see Harry Brook as the finisher’. But it is important to note that the batter hasn’t played the finisher role so far in the IPL.
Lack of Experienced Indian batters:
DC will face a serious challenge when it comes to picking their seven Indians as they lack experienced Indian batters except for Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant. They have plenty of options such as Yash Dhull, Kumar Kushagra, Lalit Yadav, Ricky Bhui, Sumit Kumar, and Swastik Chhikara, but all of them are playing their first or second season.
In such a scenario, the onus to deliver in the batting unit will mostly fall upon the shoulders of Pant and Shaw. The former is coming back from an injury while the latter went through 106 runs from eight matches with just an average of 13.25.
Limited spin bowling options:
Delhi Capitals have limited resources regarding spin bowling options as they don’t have experienced spinners except for Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. Hence, the Rishabh Pant-led side might struggle if any of them gets injured. They do have Vickey Ostwal, who was the leading wicket-taker for India’s U-19 team in the 2022 World Cup but is yet to make his IPL debut. They have a part-time option of Lalit Yadav, who can roll his arm over, but he is not a four-over bowler for sure.
Opportunities:
Prithvi Shaw, who had a miserable last season, has too much to prove after a disappointing last year. He has a great opportunity to prove his mettle and secure his place in the squad ahead of the mega auction after this season. Shai Hope, who is playing his first season, would be keen to make an impact in this year’s IPL. Axar Patel, who displayed his power-hitting skills last year, will look to take more responsibility as a batter and help the team cross the finishing line bettering upon last year’s performance. Brook will have a chance to redeem himself by providing valuable contributions to the team with the willow and justify his price tag in the tournament.
Threat:
The DC team management is still unsure about Rishabh Pant’s participation and to what extent he can serve the franchise in this year’s IPL. There are also some questions on pace sensation Anrich Nortje’s return to competitive cricket, who has been away from the game since September last year.
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