Sanjay Bangar: Delhi Should Stick To Core Players Irrespective Of IPL Win
Nov 10, 2020 at 4:39 PM
Sanjay Bangar, former Indian cricketer and batting coach said that Delhi Capitals (DC) should stick to its core players irrespective of the Indian Premier League (IPL) title as they face 4-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians.
Delhi Capitals have qualified for the first time in the tournament’s final and will face Mumbai Indians tonight at Dubai International Stadium to win their maiden title.
Delhi Capitals Have Consistent Performers Unlike Previous Editions
Batsman Shikhar Dhawan is the top-scorer for the Delhi side with 603 runs while Kagiso Rabada is leading among bowlers with 29 wickets in 16 matches averaging 17.79. Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin with 13 wickets, a consistent performer for the side this season, was not initially included in the squad and he was traded later in 2020. Shikhar Dhawan was also traded in 2019.
Shreyas Iyer-led side has now a great bunch of players with wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant, pacer Kagiso Rabada, all-rounder spinner Axar Patel, pacer Anrich Nortje and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis in the squad. Under the mentorship of head coach Ricky Ponting, the side has performed better in the last two years.
Although there were injuries with Amit Mishra and Ishant Sharma ruled out, Delhi won 8 of 14 matches in the group stage and Qualifier 2 against SunRisers Hyderabad to progress into final. MI have won the IPL four times (2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019). The Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai had defeated Delhi in Qualifier 1 to progress to the finals, while DC outclassed SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 2 to enter the finals. Delhi Capitals though may release out of form Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane and Tushar Deshpande before IPL 2021.
Sanjay Bangar: Delhi Must Be Careful And Should Stick To Performers
Delhi Capitals were placed 3rd in the last 2019 season when they lost to Chennai Super Kings by 6 wickets in Qualifier 2. Sanjay Bangar has a word of caution and said Delhi should have faith and belief and should retain the same core of players who have performed well. Sanjay Bangar asked Delhi to be careful as they have a fantastic bunch of talented players and should play the same core irrespective of IPL trophy win.
Speaking on Star Sports show ‘Cricket Connected’, Bangar said: “You can have that sort of element of luck when players are picked in the auction. When players are traded, it means that there is a clear strategy from the team releasing the player and from the team which is acquiring the player as to what sort of a role that particular player has to play.”
“In the auction, you do not know if you would get the player you would want, but in a transfer, you do have that sort of control over which player you would want to have. So, from that perspective, yes, what they have tried to do is that they have tried to separate their team compositions in three different departments – one is they want to have overseas fast bowling, they want to have Indian spinners and they want to have Indian batsmen.”
“Delhi have to be careful, they have a fantastic bunch of talented players and they should stick to them, irrespective if they win the championship or do not because they are coming close to it, it’s not far away. If they continue to show the same faith and belief in the players that they have, I feel the championship is just around the corner for them,” he added.
They had Trent Boult, Chris Morris, Colin Ingram, Colin Munro, Rahul Tewatia and Jalaj Saxena in 2019 but released them and acquired exciting prospects like Shimron Hetmyer, Anrich Nortje, Daniel Sams and Marcus Stoinis.