Aakash Chopra Rates Delhi Capitals’ Spin-Bowling Department At Par With Chennai Super Kings’
by Aayushmaan VishwanathanFormer Indian opener Aakash Chopra has shed light on some eye-opening perspectives on different franchises ahead of the 2020 edition of IPL. On this occasion, Aakash Chopra analysed Delhi Capitals’ squad and hailed their team combination and reckoned they have all their bases covered. Mainly, he went on to praise their spin-bowling department.
Also Read: IPL 2020: Ajit Agarkar Hopes For Deepak Chahar To Maintain His Fitness Levels
Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, Delhi Capitals reached the playoffs for the first time last year since 2012. The likes of Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Kagiso Rabada, and Amit Mishra were the chief reasons for a successful campaign. The franchise has also made some smart purchases ahead of the forthcoming edition and is a serious contender to lift the trophy.
Aakash Chopra believes that Delhi Capitals’ squad is excellent this time would not fight for the wooden spoon. The 42-year old highlighted their criticism of the franchise’s performance in the last few years; however, termed them as one of the favourites to win the IPL this year.
“To be fair, they have a lot of strengths. When I see this team, my heart is filled with joy. We have been critical of Delhi’s performance because they were not performing well. But this year, they will not be fighting for the wooden spoon. Delhi Capitals team was good last year, this time it is excellent,” Aakash Chopra told in his Youtube channel.
Aakash underlined Delhi Capitals’ collection of Indian batsmen in the form of Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, of which at least four will play. He added that Delhi seems to have solved their problem of finishers by recruiting the likes of Alex Carey, Marcus Stoinis, and Shimron Hetmyer; hence, it has quality and depth.
“Their strength is a lot of Indian batsmen. Just think about it – Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant. If you have these five players, out of which four would be playing. And then they used to have a problem of finishers, now they have Shimron Hetmyer, Alex Carey and Marcus Stoinis in that position. Their batting is not only strong but also has a lot of depth,” the 42-year old conceded.
“If the pitch is very bad, they can play all the four together” : Aakash Chopra
Aakash went on to state their spin-bowling department is as strong as Chennai Super Kings’. He believes that the franchise could play Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, and Sandeep Lamichanne if the pitch is too bad. And even under normal circumstances, Delhi Capitals could field at least three of them.
“Their second strength is their spin department. They are at par with Chennai Super Kings because they have Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Sandeep Lamichhane and Amit Mishra. If the pitch is very bad, they can play all the four together and they can play three of them in every match without compromising on anything,” he added.