With the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) all set to get under way in the UAE, the eight franchises have been busy with their preparations for the marquee T20 event.
Nearly two months of non-stop cricketing action will entertain fans around the globe as the very best from India and some of the biggest overseas stars take centre stage in the UAE.
Here, we look at how Delhi Capitals are shaping up for the tournament.
SQUAD
Rishabh Pant (WK), Shimron hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shreyas Iyer (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Axar Patel, Marcus Stoinis, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Alex Carey (WK), Daniel Sams, Anrich Nortje, Prithvi Shaw, Ishant Sharma, Avesh khan, Keemo Paul, Mohit Sharma, Harshal Patel, Sandeep Lamichhane, Tushar Deshpande, Lalit Yadav.
CAPTAIN – SHREYAS IYER
Image – IPL/Twitter.
At 25, Shreyas Iyer is the youngest among the eight captains for the upcoming edition. The right-handed batsman was unexpectedly thrust into the captaincy role in 2018, with the team eventually finishing in bottom place.
Any doubts over his leadership credentials were cast aside in 2019 when Iyer led the Capitals to a third-place finish. He has the perfect mentor to learn the captaincy ropes from in former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting, and the results have already started to show.
A calming presence in the middle-order for Delhi, Iyer is a dependable batsman who can change gears seamlessly. As a full India international with 40 limited-overs appearances for the country under his belt, the batsman is no stranger to handling pressure on the big stage.
Last year was his most prolific IPL yet, with Iyer amassing 463 runs to help Delhi advance to the play-offs. Much more will be expected from him in the coming edition as the franchise looks to end their title drought.
OVERVIEW
Delhi have taken pride in the fact that they are a place to hone young talents, and a batting spine of Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw and Iyer is proof of a youthful Indian contingent with the bat.
That young core has now been supplemented with plenty of experience, with India stalwart Ajinkya Rahane joining the franchise. Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan will look to shepherd their young compatriots in a batting line up dominated by domestic players.
Arguably no other franchise can boast of the domestic roster at Delhi’s disposal and this should turn out to be a real asset for Ponting’s wards. Further to their batting riches in the domestic department, the team have added India veterans Ravichandran Ashwin and Ishant Sharma to their bowling attack.
Such a plethora of options among Indian players means that the Capitals should have no trouble in finding the right combination with regards to their overseas contingent. Alex Carey comes into the tournament fresh off his match-winning ton against England, although Pant’s ability to keep wickets means the Aussie could be surplus to requirements for the playing XI.
Image credit – @IPL/Twitter.
Instead, Carey’s compatriot Marcus Stoinis could be the man Delhi look to provide the firepower in the batting department. The Aussie looks likely to be deployed as a floater in the batting order, while his ability to bowl medium pace should further tilt the scales in his favour.
West Indies’ Shimron Hetmyer is another overseas recruit who can dish out the big hits, and he will be eager to prove his worth after a disappointing campaign for RCB last year. Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane is poised to enjoy a major role in Delhi’s campaign, while South Africa speedster Kagiso Rabada will lead things off in the pace department.
England stars Jason Roy and Chris Woakes have pulled out of the tournament, though Delhi have brought in some exciting replacements in the form of Anrich Nortje and Australia’s Daniel Sams.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Domestic – Ravichandran Ashwin
Image – KXIP/Twitter
Ashwin made news last year after his controversial ‘Mankad’ dismissal of Jos Buttler and the India Test veteran has vowed to do the same this year if the opportunity arises. Batsmen at the non-striker’s end are bound to be on their toes when Ashwin comes on to bowl, though the ones facing the delivery are not going to be safe either.
Ashwin might be pigeonholed as a Test specialist for India now, but the off-spinner has always been a reliable performer in the T20 format. His 125 IPL wickets at an economy-rate of just 6.79 means Delhi should get excellent value for bringing him in ahead of the 2020 edition.
The seasoned spinner has plenty of variations in his armoury, including his trademark ‘carrom-ball’. UAE’s conditions will play into Ashwin’s hands and the Capitals seem to have struck a smart deal to secure his services for the tournament.
Overseas – Sandeep Lamichhane
Image credit – @IPL/Twitter.
Ashwin’s potential spin partnership with Sandeep Lamichhane will be a sight to savour, especially if the Nepalese sensation can find his radar. The Nepal man did not have the best of IPL campaigns in 2019 and made just six appearances for the franchise.
The 20-year-old will want to serve a timely reminder of the talent that saw him become the first Nepal player to bag an IPL contract. The leg-spinner brings with him the experience of playing in several T20 franchise leagues around the globe, including the BBL and CPL. 117 T20 wickets at an economy-rate of 6.71 makes Lamichhane the perfect man to partner Ashwin in the spin attack.
He is fresh off a tidy campaign in the CPL with Jamaica Tallawahs and will relish the conditions on offer in the UAE. Watch out for that deceptive googly of his.
Youngster – Rishabh Pant
That Delhi have made young Rishabh Pant as their highest paid player for the season speaks volumes about his impact on the franchise. Since 2017, no batsman has scored more IPL runs than Pant’s 1,538. What makes his run-tally all the more impressive is the fact that his strike-rate has consistently been above 160.
His considerable exploits as a youngster makes it easy to forget that the left-hander is still only 22. It is unfortunate that the southpaw has not managed to replicate his IPL heroics with India’s limited-overs outfits, though he does have a timely opportunity to prove his worth again.
With KL Rahul recently taking up India’s T20I wicketkeeping duties, the incentive is there right in front of Pant to serve the selectors a notice. India’s white ball wicketkeeping slot is up for grabs following MS Dhoni’s international retirement, and Pant will want to seize that chance in the comforts of a competition where he usually revels.
Predicted XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (WK), Shimron Hetmyer, Shreyas Iyer (C), Marcus Stoinis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sandeep Lamichhane, Kagiso Rabada, Ishant Sharma.
