DELHI CAPITALS — MAINTAINING MOMENTUM WILL BE THE CHALLENGE

Associate Editor

Delhi Capitals, runners-up in 2020, will be hoping that their momentum in the first half of the season doesn’t desert them when they resume their campaign in the UAE.

When IPL 2021 was suspended in early May in India due to Covid-19 cases among the teams, Delhi were sitting pretty atop the table with six wins from eight games. The team management has tried to ensure that the players are in good condition and are acclimatised to the hot and humid conditions in the UAE.

They were one of the early birds to land in the UAE — after Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings — while Shreyas Iyer had reached even earlier. Having recovered from shoulder surgery, his return to the key number four position will stabilise the Delhi middle order, which appeared fragile despite the flying starts from openers Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw in India.

Their bowling line-up is easily the most well-rounded of the eight teams, with Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, the South African pace aces, promising to be more effective on the UAE wickets than India. The slow bowling department is well equipped with

Ravi Ashwin and left-arm spinner Axar Patel being capable of bowling in the Powerplay overs. Let’s also not forget the wily leggie Amit Mishra, who had to return home early after a finger injury last year. Delhi would also benefit from the availability of all but one overseas player in the second leg; Australian all-rounder Ben Dwarshuis will replace England’s Chris Woakes.

In: Ben Dwarshuis (Australia)

Out: Chris Woakes (England)

Captain: Rishabh Pant

Coach: Ricky Ponting

Owners: GMR Group, JSW Group