Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar firmly believes that one of the key reasons why Delhi Capitals have been very inconsistent this season is because of the poor form of their captain Rishabh Pant. The maverick left-hander has had an extremely disappointing and underwhelming campaign so far this season and it has also affected DC’s middle order.
Pant has scored 281 runs in 11 matches. He has batted at an average of 31.22 and a strike rate of 152.72. However, the 24-year-old has failed to score a single half-century this season and the highest score he has notched up so far is 44.
The availability of gun opener Prithvi Shaw for the clash against Rajasthan Royals is uncertain. Therefore, there might be additional pressure on Pant to raise his level with the bat.
“When Prithvi Shaw was there, Delhi had another dangerous batter. If David Warner is scoring at 140, Shaw was striking at 150. Rishabh Pant will have to score runs. He will have to show some consistency, otherwise Delhi’s batting looks really weak. Unless he contributes, DC will continue to struggle in the batting department,” Sanjay Manjrekar said while previewing the match on ESPN Cricinfo.
Speaking of Delhi Capitals’ inconsistency and their ups and downs this season, Manjrekar further added that they have some big players and have quality in both the bowling departments: pace and spin. While a couple of players are not in form, the return of Prithvi Shaw will help the side a lot and Delhi Capitals are still good enough to make a push for the top four places in the league table.
Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been one of the best acquisitions for Delhi Capitals this season. He has almost revitalized his IPL career after a couple of really low years and has gotten back to his very best. With 18 wickets from 11 matches, he is joint-fourth in the IPL 2022 Purple Cap list.
However, Kuldeep has been expensive over the last couple of matches and needs to rediscover his mojo. He has conceded 40 and 43 runs respectively over the last two games against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings.
Speaking about the bowler, Manjrekar claimed that he is too slow in the air and needs to work on his natural ability. “If Kuldeep works on his fitness and flight and overcomes his natural weakness, he will be more effective with regards to economy,” he concluded.
