News Analysis India

Tag: Delhi Capitals

  • Delhi Capitals spinner Ashwin ‘updating spin-bowling software’ ahead of game against Rajasthan Royals

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Seasoned off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin might have been expensive in his team’s opening game in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this season, but the Delhi Capitals bowler is “updating” himself with new variations to bamboozle the batsmen in the upcoming matches.

    Ashwin picked an all-important wicket of Moeen Ali, but gave away 47 runs in his quota of four overs. The star spinner had been in sensational form for the national side but failed to leave a mark in the Capitals’ opening game.

    Delhi Capitals on Monday shared a picture of Aswhin in which the spinner can be seen pondering upon while rolling the ball.

    “Just @ashwinravi99’s spin-bowling software updating itself with new variations,” Delhi Capitals tweeted.

    While Ashwin went for runs in the first game, batsmen Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw fired on all cylinders to script Delhi Capitals’ win on Saturday.

    Dhawan played a blistering knock of 85 from 54 balls, while Shaw smashed 72 runs off 38 balls to help Delhi Capitals defeat Chennai Super Kings by seven wickets.

    Dhawan said that youngster Shaw made a comeback like a champion in IPL 14 after going through a bad patch earlier in the year.

    “It was lovely to watch Prithvi bat so effortlessly and timing the ball so nicely. He went through a bad patch earlier and has come back as a champion. He did so well in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scored so many centuries and a double century as well. And now, he has brought the same form in IPL. I am so happy to see him perform that well,” Dhawan said in the Delhi Capitals release.

    The 35-year-old added that a comprehensive victory in their first match of the season is a huge confidence booster for the team.

    “Starting a season on such a high note increases the team’s confidence tremendously. There’s a positive vibe in the dressing room now. We prepared well for the match and everything fell into place nicely. I am very happy with the team’s and my own performance. Looking forward to the next game,” he said.

    Delhi Capitals will next take on Rajasthan Royals here at the Wankhede Stadium on April 15.

  • Dream of taking MS Dhoni’s wicket fulfilled, I’m very happy: Delhi Capitals pacer Avesh Khan

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Delhi Capitals’ fast bowler Avesh Khan was the pick of the bowlers in his team’s seven-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings in their first match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) here at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.

    The 24-year-old, who returned with figures of 2/23, helped the Delhi franchise restrict CSK to 188/7 in their 20 overs before the Delhi Capitals chased the target down in 18.4 overs. The speedster was particularly thrilled about taking the big wicket of MS Dhoni.

    Dhoni batted for just two balls before he was cleaned up by Avesh. The former India skipper looked to play a pull shot, but only managed to get an inside edge back onto the stumps.

    “Three years ago, I had a chance to take Mahi bhai’s wicket, but somebody had dropped the catch. But now my dream of taking Mahi bhai’s wicket is fulfilled, so I am very happy about it. Since he has not played competitive matches for some time, we had planned to put pressure on him and because of that pressure I could take his wicket,” said Avesh in an official Delhi Capitals release.

    The fast bowler said Delhi Capitals will have to maintain the momentum they have attained after winning their first match of the competition.

    “I was quite happy with my performance in our first match, and I am even happier because the team has won. I put the team in a good position with the wickets of Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) and Faf du Plessis. I was happy with the way I carried out the role given to me by the team management. After winning the first match, everyone’s confidence goes up. Now, we have to maintain the momentum,” said Avesh.

    Avesh added that Faf du Plessis’ wicket helped him get into a good rhythm. “Rishabh backed me and gave me the second over of the match and I took a wicket in that over itself. A wicket in the initial part of a fast bowler’s spell is really good for his rhythm. du Plessis is a good batsman and if he continued to play, then he would’ve made things difficult for us.”

    The 24-year-old revealed he hired a dietician ahead of this IPL to improve his fitness. “I have reduced my weight by 5 kg. I have hired a personal dietician and I plan my diet according to the dietician’s directions. My diet plan changes on a day-to-day basis, depending on my gym and training sessions and rest days. Improving my fitness has helped me a lot. I am feeling light, and I feel great when I run. I had to sacrifice some of my favourite dishes for 20-25 days, but that has helped me to stay on track for achieving some of my personal goals,” said Avesh.

    While speaking about the fast-bowling prowess of the Delhi Capitals, Avesh said the Delhi franchise has the best fast bowling line-up in the IPL.

    “I think we have the best fast bowling line-up in the tournament. Kagiso Rabada won the Purple Cap last season, Anrich Nortje bowled the fastest ball in IPL history last season, Ishant Sharma is an experienced bowler and Umesh Yadav has been bowling well in the nets as well. There’s good competition among the fast bowlers in our team,” signed off Avesh.

  • Delhi Capitals batsman Shikhar Dhawan says Prithvi Shaw made a champions-like comeback

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Delhi Capitals opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan said that youngster Prithvi Shaw has made a comeback like a champion in IPL 14 after going through a bad patch earlier in the year.

    Dhawan and Shaw sealed the deal for their team with a partnership of 138 runs in their opening match of the Indian Premier League 2021 against the Chennai Super Kings here at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.

    Dhawan played a blistering knock of 85 from 54 balls, while Shaw smashed 72 runs off 38 balls to help Delhi Capitals defeat Chennai Super Kings by seven wickets.

    “It was lovely to watch Prithvi bat so effortlessly and timing the ball so nicely. He went through a bad patch earlier and has come back as a champion. He did so well in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scored so many centuries and a double century as well. And now, he has brought the same form in IPL. I am so happy to see him perform that well,” Dhawan said in the Delhi Capitals release.

    The 35-year-old added that a comprehensive victory in their first match of the season is a huge confidence booster for the team.”Starting a season on such a high note increases the team’s confidence tremendously. There’s a positive vibe in the dressing room now. We prepared well for the match and everything fell into place nicely. I am very happy with the team’s and my own performance. Looking forward to the next game,” he said.

    When asked about Rishabh Pant’s captaincy in his first match as DC skipper, Dhawan said, “We are missing Shreyas Iyer, and I am glad that his surgery went well. But I am very happy for Rishabh Pant. He is a young captain and it’s a great thing that he has got a win in his first match as captain. He was very calm and composed while leading the side. He made good changes as well and I am sure that with experience, he’s only going to get more refined.”

    The opening batsman feels Delhi Capitals can lift the title this season with the continued backing from the team’s fans.

    “I would like to thank the fans for their love and wishes and tell them to keep supporting us the way they have been doing and continue to be a part of the DC family. And with the fans’ support, we will surely win and bring the trophy home,” he said.

    Delhi Capitals will next take on Rajasthan Royals here at the Wankhede Stadium on April 15.

  • Speak to Ricky Ponting about tactics and strategies as a batsman: Delhi Capitals star Prithvi Shaw

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Delhi Capitals got off to a fantastic start in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 with a seven-wicket win over the Chennai Super Kings here at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. Opening batsman Prithvi Shaw was in the thick of things as he blasted his way to 38-ball 72-run innings, helping his team chase down a target of 189 runs with 8 balls to spare.

    “Very happy with the way I batted. Everyone executed whatever we practiced in the last few days. It was brilliant to see everyone contributing to the team. The opening stand which we got was very crucial for us. Chasing 190 odd is not easy without a good start. It was a great win for us; however, I should have stayed in the middle until the end. So, if I have to rate my innings out of 10, I will give an 8 to myself,” Shaw said in the Delhi Capitals release.

    The 21-year-old, who scored a whopping 827 runs in 8 matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, spoke about how he got back into form before the IPL 2021.

    “I made some small changes in my batting before the IPL. I just wanted to minimise all the mistakes I was making, and I worked hard. I practiced for two weeks with Strength and Conditioning Coach Rajinikanth Sivagnanam sir and Pravin Amre sir before the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Then I just played my natural game with a few changes in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.”

    The opening batsman expressed that he worked out his technical errors with Rajinikanth Sivagnanam and Pravin Amre and speaks to the head coach Ricky Ponting more about tactics as a batsman.

    “With Ricky, I generally speak to him about tactics and strategies as a batsman. He has played so much of cricket and he has got the experience which he can share with us and he does especially with the youngsters. I am really enjoying working with him,” Shaw said.

    When asked about the newly appointed skipper Rishabh Pant’s captaincy, he said, “We really miss Shreyas Iyer, and he led the team very well. However, Rishabh Pant is very smart. He is fearless and enjoys the game. He’s very entertaining on the field and is very cool and calm as a Captain. He’s doing a fantastic job for the team.”

    Shaw, who was very happy with the team’s performance in their first match of the season, had a special message for the Delhi Capitals fans.

    “All the fans have given us so much of love. The fans were still caring for me even when I wasn’t doing well before the Vijay Hazare Trophy so I would like to thank everyone and ask them to keep supporting me and the Delhi team for this IPL,” he said.

    Delhi Capitals will next take on Rajasthan Royals here at the Wankhede Stadium on April 15.

  • After getting dropped during Australia tour, I worked hard on myself: Delhi Capitals batsman Prithvi Shaw

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Delhi Capitals batsman Prithvi Shaw said he worked hard on himself with coach Pravin Amre after returning from a “disappointing” Australia tour and the hard work can be seen in the batting style of the opener in the recent tournaments.

    Shaw played the first Test of the Australia series but the scores of 0 and 4 paved his way out of the team. The 21-year-old focused on his technique and came back strong. He amassed over 800 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, becoming the first cricketer in history to do so.

    In this season’s opening clash for Delhi Capitals against Chennai Super Kings, Shaw continued his form and played a knock of 72 off 38 balls studded with three sixes and nine fours. Shaw and his partner Shikhar Dhawan put on 138 runs for the opening wicket in a chase of 189 which enabled them to defeat CSK comfortably by seven wickets.

    “Feeling good. Everyone contributed and it was a good start (to the season). The wicket was good to bat on in the second innings and we executed quite well. From Australia when I was dropped I was working from there itself, coming back and across early, so I practised before going to Vijay Hazare with Pravin Amre and worked on that. I had a good plan before going into that tournament, so it is working quite well,” Shaw said after the match

    “I don’t want to think about it (being dropped from the Indian side) because it was a disappointing moment for me but I have to move on and if something is wrong with my batting or technique, I have to improve and I am working hard on myself,” he added.

    Dhawan also said that Shaw carried on his form from Vijay Hazare.

    “I really enjoyed my batting. Was enjoying the way I was hitting the ball. Prithvi was batting really well. He carried on with his form from Vijay Hazare. It was important to get off to a good start because we were chasing a big total,” Dhawan said.

    The left-handed batsman played a knock of 85 runs was studded with two sixes and 10 fours. He played shots all around the park and troubled CSK bowlers with his clever batting.

    “I have to innovate a few shots and I enjoy taking up challenges. I was playing the ball close to the body. The wicket was a little sticky. I knew my game plan. It is tremendous to watch Prithvi. He played some effortless shots. So good and so happy for him as he didn’t have a good IPL last time around. I liked the Moeen Ali catch the most,” he added.

  • Delhi Capitals batsman Shikhar Dhawan impressed by Rishabh Pant’s calmness on captaincy debut

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Delhi Capitals experienced opener Shikhar Dhawan was mighty impressed with Rishabh Pant’s leadership qualities, saying the youngster led the team in a calm and composed manner in his first match as captain and will only get better with time.

    Pant was thrust into captaincy after regular skipper Shreyas Iyer sustained a shoulder injury during the recent ODI series against England and was ruled out of the tournament.

    The 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman made a memorable start to his captaincy stint as he led DC to a convincing seven-wicket win over three-time champions Chennai Super Kings in their opening match of the IPL 2021 here on Saturday.

    “He (Rishabh Pant) did quite well. First of all, glad that he won the toss. It was a bit of a sticky wicket, so it was good for us to bat second. He kept his calm and kept on motivating the boys,” Dhawan said during the post-match press conference.

    “He made good changes as well. It was his first match (as captain), so I am sure it is only going to get refined from here. He has just started and with experience, I am sure, he is only going to get better.

    “The best thing about Rishabh Pant is that he stays calm. His presence of mind is quite there, which is very very good.”

    Asked if he gives his advice to Pant as a senior player, Dhawan said: “…of course, I give my advice to him. The youngsters, whenever they come to me to ask for batting tips or mindset things, I always share my knowledge with them.”

    Dhawan smashed a 54-ball 85 studded with 10 fours and two maximums and alongwith Prithvi Shaw (72) shared a 138-run opening stand as Delhi chased down 189 with eight balls to spare.

    Asked about his sweep shots against the pacers, Dhawan said: “I started practising it at the nets and then introduced it in the game. We have to play according to the field set. I knew Chennai keeps square leg and fine leg inside the 30-yard circle and keep covers behind for me.

    “I knew their bowling plans, that they will bowl more yorkers to me. So just tried to use their pace and put the ball over the square leg.”

    Dhawan was dropped after the first T20I against England in the recent-concluded series but made a comeback in the ODIs, scoring 98 and 67 in the first and third games.

    Asked if he had made changes in his approach, Dhawan said: “There is no change in my approach or anything. I have been playing like this for a long time now. If you have watched me batting last IPL or even before that I have batted with a good strike-rate.

    “I am happy how I am going, been much more consistent and of course I will look to improve where ever I can and I am enjoying my game.

    “I’m refining my skills and playing aggressive cricket and I will continue with this mindset and you will see me playing with the same way and this version of the game demands that,” he added.

    The 35-year-old said the team will look to carry the momentum in the coming matches.

    “I am happy it was a good performance. It was a good start for us, the whole team did well, Prithvi batted well and bowlers bowled well. Now we have to keep refining it and maintain it, that is the aim,” he said.

    Delhi will next play Rajasthan Royals on April 15 in Mumbai.

  • Made small changes in my technique, minimized mistakes: Delhi Capitals batsman Prithvi Shaw

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: A minor change in technique coupled with focus on cutting down on silly mistakes has been Prithvi Shaw’s recipe for success after a poor run of form that found him out of national team during the England series.

    The 21-year-old on Saturday blasted his way to a 38-ball 72-run innings as Delhi Capitals chased down a winning target of 189 against CSK with more than an over to spare.

    “I made some small changes in my batting before the IPL. I just wanted to minimize all the mistakes I was making, and I worked hard,” said Shaw in a release on Sunday.

    The change that he referred to was positioning of his back-lift.

    Earlier, his bat would come down at an angle from the gully region, causing problems with the incoming deliveries but after working with Amre, the back-lift is more straightened reducing the gap between bat and pad.

    Last year, Shaw was dropped from DC’s playing XI after a string of low scores in UAE and also omitted from India’s Test squad after scoring 0 and 4 in the first Test in Adelaide.

    After working on his technique, Shaw returned to amass a whopping 827 runs in 8 matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

    “I practised for two weeks with Strength & Conditioning Coach Rajinikanth Sivagnanam sir and Pravin Amre sir before the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Then I just played my natural game with a few changes in the Vijay Hazare Trophy,” he said.

    Shaw shared a 138-run opening stand with Shikhar Dhawan (85) before being dismissed by Dwayne Bravo in the 14th over.

    “Very happy with the way I batted…the opening stand which we got was very crucial for us. Chasing 190 odd is not easy without a good start,” he said.

    “It was a great win for us; however, I should’ve stayed in the middle until the end. So, if I have to rate my innings out of 10, I will give an 8 to myself.”

    Talking about DC head coach Ricky Ponting, Shaw said: “With Ricky, I generally speak to him about tactics and strategies as a batsman.

    “He has played so much of cricket and he has got the experience which he can share with us and he does especially with the youngsters. I am really enjoying working with him.”

    Asked about skipper Rishabh Pant, who replaced an injured Shreyas Iyer ahead of this season, Shaw said: “We really miss Shreyas Iyer, and he led the team very well. However, Rishabh Pant is very smart. He is fearless and enjoys the game. He’s very entertaining on the field and is very cool and calm as a captain. He’s doing a fantastic job for the team.”Delhi will next play Rajasthan Royals on April 15 in Mumbai.

  • IPL 2021: Openers Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw help DC crush CSK by 7 wickets

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Openers Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw pummelled Chennai Super Kings into submission with their explosive batting as Delhi Capitals romped to a seven-wicket victory in their Indian Premier League opener here on Saturday.

    Dhawan smashed 85 off 54 balls and Shaw amassed 72 in just 38 deliveries as DC chased down a target of 189 comfortably with 1.2 overs to spare.

    New skipper Rishabh Pant hit the winning runs.

    With Shaw and Dhawan in rollicking form, Delhi Capitals started on a rousing note and were sitting pretty at 65 for no loss at the end of the six Powerplay overs.

    ALSO READ | CSK captain MS Dhoni blames poor bowling execution for DC defeat

    The two openers went for their big shots with impunity, and on all sides of the Wankhede Stadium, as Delhi Capitals raced past 100 in quick time.

    Needing 90 runs in the last 10 overs and with all wickets in hand, DC could afford to dictate terms and put pressure on CSK.

    That Shardul Thakur and Sam Curran were sent for a leather hunt put CSK completely out of contest.

    For Shaw, the innings was an extension of his Vijay Hazare Trophy form and the slight tweak in his technique and a straight backlift is working wonders for Shaw.

    “I worked on the back-and-across [movement], I focused with Pravin sir as well. I think it’s working quite well,” Shaw said.

    The fours and sixes continued to rain as DC inched closer to the target with consummate ease While the CSK bowling attack had no answer to the strokes played by the DC openers, what added to their misery were two dropped catches of Shaw on 38 and 47, with Moeen Ali being the unfortunate bowler on both occasions.

    Making full use of the reprieves, Shaw raced to half century in just 27 balls while his senior partner Dhawan go to the landmark in 35 deliveries.

    Shaw hit nine fours and three sixes, while Dhawan struck 10 boundaries and two maximums before getting out to miss out on a hundred.

    Earlier, Suresh Raina announced his IPL comeback with a blazing 36-ball 54 and powered his team to a solid 188 for seven.

    Sam Curran smashed 34 off only 15 balls to prop up the CSK innings towards the end.

    Curran hit four fours and two sixes.

    The last five overs yielded 52 runs for CSK, thanks to Curran’s power-packed innings.

    Asked to bat first by Rishabh Pant, Ruturaj Gaikwad got CSK off the mark with a pleasing drive through the off side between point and cover, two deliveries after being beaten all ends up by a Chris Woakes outswinger.

    Last season’s runners-up DC didn’t have to wait long for their first breakthrough as Avesh Khan (2/23 in 4 overs) had Faf du PLessis trapped in front of the wicket in the second over.

    In the first ball of the third over, Woakes had Gaikwad caught in the slip cordon as CSK slipped to seven for two.

    The English pacer drew Gaikwad into a push with a ball that moved a slightly on pitching.

    In came Raina — he had missed the last IPL owing to personal reasons — and in the company of Moeen Ali, the seasoned campaigner revived CSK’s innings and looked to put up a challenging total against a strong DC batting line-up at the Wankhede Stadium.

    During his 24-ball 36, Moeen struck four boundaries and two sixes, playing a fine helping hand to Raina.

    Experienced off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin cut short Moeen’s innings when the all-rounder got himself into an uncomfortable position while going for a reverse sweep, the ensuing top-edge ending in a good catch by Shikhar Dhawan, who ran backwards from short third man to hold on to the ball.

    Ambati Rayudu came in and straightaway got into the act, hitting a couple of sixes and a four to race away to 23 off 16 balls before Tom Curran ended his stay in the middle.

    Meanwhile Raina went about his task in a manner that did not give the impression that he was coming back to top-flight after a long hiatus.

    Raina got himself going with a four off Woakes and then worked Ashwin for two successive boundaries, not afraid to dance down the wicket against the wily spinner’s flight.

    Using his feet well, the veteran southpaw hoicked leg-spinner Amit Mishra for two and also got a maximum against Ashwin.

    It was no different with Marcus Stoinis as Raina pulled the Australian medium pacer for another six before being run-out following a mix-up with Ravindra Jadeja (26).

  • IPL 2021: CSK captain MS Dhoni blames poor bowling execution for DC defeat

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his bowlers will have to pull up their socks after a “poor” outing against Delhi Capitals in their IPL opener here on Saturday.

    Chasing 189 for victory, DC romped to a seven-wicket victory with eight balls to spare after Shikhar Dhawan (85) and Prithvi Shaw (72) struck blistering half-centuries.

    “We could have bowled slightly better, and if batters are hitting you over the fields, that’s fair enough.

    “The execution of the bowlers was poor and there were boundary balls that they bowled, but the bowlers will have learned and they will apply that in the future games,” Dhoni said at the post-match press conference.

    DC’s new skipper Rishabh Pant won the toss and opted to bowl in the game and Dhoni said the dew factor played in their minds.

    MATCH REPORT: Openers Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw help DC crush CSK by 7 wickets

    “A lot depended on dew, and that factor played on our mind from the start and that’s why we wanted to get as many runs as possible. The batters did a good job to reach 188, because it was tacky until dew settled in 50 minutes later. The opposition have half an hour advantage in a 7:30 start, when the pitch is really tacky and the ball stops a bit, so we need to get 15-20 runs extra to be sage.

    “If we get dew consistently, then 200 will be a must on a pitch like this.

    The bowlers bowled a great line when it was stopping and seaming a bit, and the openers got really good balls in which they got out and that can happen in a game like this,” Dhoni said.

    Earlier, Suresh Raina announced his IPL comeback with a blazing 36-ball 54 and powered his team to a solid 188 for seven.

    Sam Curran smashed 34 off only 15 balls to prop up the CSK innings towards the end.

    Curran hit four fours and two sixes.

  • DC vs CSK: Ajinkya Rahane completes 150 games in IPL

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Delhi Capitals batsman Ajinkya Rahane completed 150 games in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when he stepped onto the field in the game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Saturday.

    Rahane has scored 3933 runs in the IPL at a strike rate of 121.38. He has smashed 28 half-centuries and two tons.

    Meanwhile, spinner Amit Mishra completed 100 games for Delhi Capitals. The right-arm spinner has played a total of 151 matches in the cash-rich league but for the Delhi-based franchise, Mishra has featured in the 100 matches.

    Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant won the toss and opted to field first against CSK. The MS Dhoni-led got off to the worse possible start as they lost both openers Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad before the completion of the third over.

    On Friday, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) spinner Yuzvendra Chahal added another feather to his illustrious cap as he completed 100 games in the IPL.

    Chahal achieved the feat when he stepped in the field against Mumbai Indians. The right-arm-leg spinner, who made his debut for Mumbai Indians in 2013, has played 99 games for his franchise RCB. The IPL 2021 tournament opener is also Chahal’s 200th T20 match.

    Chahal has taken 121 wickets in the cash-rich league, giving runs at an economy of 7.67. In last year’s IPL, the right arm leg spinner scalped 21 wickets for RCB.