The importance of Rishabh Pant to the Indian Test team can never be underestimated. Some of his innings at the highest level are legendary. They were scarcely believable. Indians forever will be indebted to him for that astonishing 89 at The Gabba to not only win the Test but also the series. A feat that has eluded so many past Indian teams. However, can the same be said about Pant the T20 cricketer? Will Pant’s absence affect Delhi Capitals?
For all his exploits at the Test level, Pant’s white-ball cricket hasn’t been that great. It is an irony that he came into reckoning because of his daring play in T20 cricket. However, he has certainly regressed ever since he became a dominant batsman in Tests. So much so that he was for a short period, dropped from the T20 side. Now, that he has been rendered unavailable for the entire IPL season, what will be the impact on Delhi Capitals?
Decent top order hitters
David Warner has been named the captain in the absence of Pant. Warner himself is under tremendous pressure after the disastrous series in India. There are talks of the WTC finals being his final game for Australia, sort of a swansong for him. The Australian selectors are looking away from Warner for The Ashes. He will be raring to prove his detractors wrong though this is only T20 format and that too in India. Nevertheless, being the captain will help in his quest to regain form.
Apart from Warner, Delhi Capitals has excellent firepower with the bat in Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh & Powell. Marsh especially, is in excellent form having done his bit in the series win against India. He will be at the top of the order and thereby will have a decent number of overs to establish himself. The top 4 of Delhi Capitals are quite explosive. On their day, they can destroy any attack. Warner also has a good captaincy record in the IPL. He has a favourable win/loss record. Hyderabad won their only title under him.
The curious case of Prithvi Shaw
However, it is Prithvi Shaw who will have to standup to be counted. He has got an explosive style of batting. It is not afraid to hit through the line or go over the top. One cannot deny the fact that he is a precious talent though his technique for Tests leaves a lot to be desired. Having said that, he is quite at home in white-ball cricket and particularly in T20. Pitches around the world encourage batsmen to play their shots. This is the format that is ideally suited for Shaw. Ricky Ponting, the DC coach believes everyone can witness the real Prithvi Shaw.
“He’s trained harder and better than I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty sure leading into an IPL, he is in better physical shape than I’ve ever seen him before,” Ponting told reporters in Delhi on Friday. “And I spoke to him the other day about his attitude and the way that he’s working and how things are going. I honestly feel that this is going to be his biggest season ever in the IPL.”
The emergence of Gill
One is forced to ask Ponting whether he has worked with Shaw to solve his technical problem of which Ponting himself spoke on-air during the 2020 Australian tour. One biggest problem with Shaw is his lack of fitness. For a 23 years old, he definitely looks overweight. For someone who was expected to break into the Indian white-ball squad more than a year ago, he is not even on the radar now. It shows the depths Shaw has fallen. Time is running out for Shaw. His compatriot in the U-19 World Cup squad, Shubman Gill has established himself in all the 3 formats and is even being touted as the future Indian captain. Shaw will have to look at himself in the mirror and ask some tough questions. Does he want to be remembered as an Indian cricketer or just one among the many Ranji cricketers?
Come to the bowling & wicket keeping
Here is their real firepower. Rabadda and Ngidi will unleash their pace on the hapless batsmen. Both will miss the first game but will be battle-hardened from the next one. It depends on Ponting and Warner to motivate these genuine quicks to ensure that Delhi wins their first title atleast this year.
However, wicket keeper is the real problem. They do not have a solid wicket keeper. Manish Pandey, Phil Salt and Sarfaraz Khan names are being flouted around but none of them is regular wicket keepers. This is where Delhi will miss the services of Pant and certainly not his batting.
Wrapping up will Pant’s absence affect Delhi Capitals?
Delhi Capitals will begin their campaign on 1st April against Lucknow Super Giants. They finished 5th the last time around. It was the first time they failed to go beyond the first round since 2018. This time, they will not only want to proceed to the playoffs but win the title that has eluded Delhi for 15 years. They have deceived for far too long. Pant’s absence will not be felt with the bat. They have enough firepower to play with. Infact, Pant who usually promotes himself to number 4, irrespective of how good he is, that issue will not arise any longer.
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