IPL 2019 | Shikhar Dhawan's poor form affecting Delhi Capitals, believes Krishnamachari Srikkanth

Delhi Capitals have accumulated a strong Indian core at their disposal, but the lack of an experienced campaigner, who can lead the team’s fortunes around, is the primary reason behind the team not being able to find the feet so far in the league. Shikhar Dhawan’s failure has further added problems to Delhi’s line-up and Srikkanth believes that unless the Indian opener finds his form, it will be difficult for the franchise to secure win consistently.

"One look at the composition of the Delhi Capitals squad and one would note that they should have done better by this stage. The main reason for their under-par performance, is my opinion, is the poor form of opener Shikhar Dhawan. There is cause for bigger concern here. As an opener, you thrive on confidence and Dhawan, with the World Cup approaching, seems to be short of it. A sum of 152 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 117 does not look bad on paper but as the senior most in the line-up, Dhawan should have made better use of the hard ball and field restrictions. From personal experience, I can safely say that the more runs in your bag before a big tournament is always better, especially if you are an opener,” Srikkanth wrote in his column for Times of India.

"Delhi's batting looks solid and someone like Dhawan should be the flag bearer, leading the charge. A lot will depend on Dhawan's rhythm in the coming games if Delhi is hoping for a quick turnaround. Given RCB's current form, Delhi could not have hoped for a better opponent to get their campaign back on track. Unlike previous seasons, Delhi has struck a fine balance. With youngsters like Prithvi Shaw & Co. finding their feet, they should do better and a lot of that would depend on how Dhawan carries the team forward,” he added.

Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, have made a mess of most of their matches, and despite being in fairly easier position, they ended up on the wrong side of the result - primarily because of their inability to finish off the games. Srikkanth, however, stated that it is Ajinkya Rahane’s inability to choose the better team has been the reason for Rajasthan’s failure.

"The second match of the day is also vital in many ways. KKR have found a way to win, courtesy Andre Russell, while Rajasthan have been failing to get their act together. A win here for KKR will help them break free while the Royals will face an uphill battle from here if things don't go their way. In a tournament like the IPL, most of the teams are blessed with quality players and a decent bench strength. The vital element to succeedis finding the right combination. Ajinkya Rahane is yet to find that combination and also select players based on prevalent conditions and the strength and weakness of the opposition," Srikkanth signed off.