New Delhi, Apr 25:
Delhi Capitals will have to play out of their skins to get their stuttering campaign back on track when they face high-flying Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League here on Saturday.
It will be a daunting task for the struggling Delhi outfit — smarting from a comprehensive 47-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad — to stand up to a Punjab side that has been firing on all cylinders this season.
With three wins and as many losses from six matches, the Capitals find themselves pushed down the bottom half of the table in sixth place.In contrast, Punjab Kings remain the only unbeaten team in the competition so far, sitting pretty at the top of the standings with 11 points from six outings.
The sole point they lost was due to their game being washed out against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.Delhi’s biggest concern has been their inconsistent batting.
While the likes of KL Rahul, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs and Sameer Rizvi have all contributed in patches, the unit has failed to click collectively.
Opener Pathum Nissanka, despite getting starts, has been unable to convert them into substantial scores, leaving the middle order with too much to do.
Captain Axar Patel, too, would want to shoulder greater responsibility with the bat. The all-rounder is also under scrutiny for some questionable tactical calls in the previous game.
Against a rampaging Abhishek Sharma, Axar persisted with part-time off-spinner Nitish Rana, who proved ineffective, while frontline options such as himself and Kuldeep Yadav were not utilised enough.
The absence of a clear Plan B highlighted Delhi’s lack of adaptability under pressure.Fielding lapses have further compounded their struggles.
Missed stumpings, botched run-out opportunities, and a few dropped catches have cost them dear in crucial moments, preventing them from seizing control of games.