DC’s last IPL season was unforgettable, as they finished ninth in the points table—one spot ahead of fellow struggling team Sunrisers Hyderabad. The team struggled without regular captain Rishabh Pant, who missed the entire season due to injuries sustained in a car crash last December. Several of their top players failed to deliver.
Australian opener David Warner led the franchise in Pant’s absence.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra pointed out how DC looked queasy while raising serious concerns about some of their on-field choices.
“Delhi weren’t up to the mark last year,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel. “There was a time when they were languishing at the bottom of the pile and it seemed they were intent on staying there. Whatever they tried wasn’t working, be it lack of intent in the Powerplay. David Warner was the captain and he consumed a lot of deliveries without hitting a single six.”
“Axar Patel was batting well but not fully utilised, sometimes he wasn’t even completing his four overs. There was a match when Mukesh Kumar was introduced in the 19th over,” he added.
“There were plenty of things that were wrong last time and now they are trying to correct them. They are hoping that Rishabh Pant becomes available because if he is, a lot of things will sort out automatically. What if he doesn’t make it? There’s no guarantee considering the kind of injury he’s recovering from. IPL isn’t too far. It will start in the 2nd-3rd week of March. They cannot take chances,” he said.
