Kolkata Knight Riders travelled to Vizag to face Delhi Capitals in the 16th match of the Indian Premier League 2024. The openers of the Kolkata Knight Riders set the foundation for the side as they were able to post a massive score of 272/7 at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.
In reply, Delhi Capitals got into the worst possible start as they lost four wickets at 33 runs inside five overs. Mitchell Starc and Vaibhav Arora ripped through the top order and it proved to be the final nail in the coffin. Rishabh Pant fought hard for the side but in the end fell way short of the target set by the Knight Riders. Let’s take a look at some changes that the Delhi Capitals could make after this heavy defeat.
3 changes that Delhi Capitals should make ahead of their next game:
3. Promote Axar Patel up the order to maximise his batting potential
In all the four matches that the Delhi Capitals have played this season in the Indian Premier League, the side has tinkered with the batting positions of the players. Axar Patel was one of the team’s best batters last season but this year he has not been able to bat for a longer duration.
Axar Patel is known to settle down and bat for long and it would make sense for the team to send him at the number five position. The all-rounder does not give his wicket easily and can be a player who can play match-winning cameos for the side. This is a call that the team management might have to take seeing their dismal batting display.
2. Improved fielding and better captaincy calls
Fielding was one of the departments that the Delhi Capitals failed miserably in as they were not able to hold on to their catches and there were some misfields as well. The home side was also not able to take decisive calls regarding the Decision Review System (DRS). These calls ended up being decisive in this game as the momentum shifted towards the opposition.
Rishabh Pant dropped the catch of Phil Salt on the first ball of the match. Then once again he was dropped by David Warner when he was at 16. During the fourth over of the game, Ishant Sharma got the edge of Narine’s bat and it was caught by Rishabh Pant but the umpire did not give it. The skipper decided not to review it and it ended up being costly for the team.
Also Read: Kolkata Knight Riders' 1st Innings Highlights against Delhi Capitals
1. Replace Sumit Kumar with Lalit Yadav
Sumit Kumar was one of the young players that emerged in the Delhi Capitals squad this year. The bowling all-rounder has been decent in the few games that he has started for the franchise this season. However, he has not been able to establish his name in the playing XI due to no strong showing from both bat and ball.
Lalit Yadav is one player who has been with the squad for a few seasons and can be slotted into the playing XI as well. His powerful batting abilities combined with his part-time leg-spin can be a handy option for the side. In the absence of Kuldeep Yadav, he can also yield some wickets on turning tracks for the franchise.
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