IPL 2019 | We are very confident in our abilities, and have been doing well this season as a team, Shikhar Dhawan

JSW and GMR co-owned franchise Delhi Capitals will be looking to consolidate their spot in the top-two places of the IPL points table when they take on Chennai Super Kings in their penultimate league match of IPL 2019 at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday, 1st May 2019. Delhi Capitals’ stylish opener Shikhar Dhawan spoke to the media ahead of the encounter and believes that his team “needs to play the same way that they have been playing”.

“We just have to play the same way because that is what has been getting us success. We don’t have to change anything just because we have got the tag of having qualified for the playoffs, or even during the playoffs, we will look to play the same way. Tomorrow’s game is very imperative to qualify for the Qualifier 1, so we don’t change much and just want to focus on winning tomorrow,” he said.

Shikhar continued, “We are very confident in our abilities, and have been doing well this season as a team. I am very happy with the way I am batting at the moment. The pitch in Delhi is pretty similar to the one in Chennai so we are in a very good position to be prepared for tomorrow’s match.”

The left-hand opener was criticized for his strike rate early in the season, but the 33-year-old has quickly managed to turn it around, and this is what he had to say, “I believe it is in the mind, and I knew what I was doing wrong. But now I have a lot of clarity in terms of which shot I want to play and where and when I want to hit the ball. I did take my time in the first couple of matches, but I’ve got into good rhythm now. Ricky and dada have been very supportive, and the energy in the group is very good. They have made it very comfortable for everyone to express themselves, and I am also able to do the same.”

Asked on how he helps the younger players in the squad, Dhawan said, “I feel that young players like Shreyas and Rishabh are already matured enough and they know how to handle the situations. There are, of course, times when I have to tell them to take it easy, but more often than not, it is a two-way process. On the field, there is much better communication between all of us to ensure that if our opposition is scoring fast, we get together and help each other.”

Shikhar was also asked about what changes he sees in the Delhi Capitals’ set-up this time that has made them successful. He said, “This time it was a clean slate, from the name to the owners, and players as well. The boys have been very hungry to win and have wanted to do well. We have a very closely knit bowling and batting unit, which sticks together, and has clicked at the right time. Any team which has good Indian batsmen, they do well in the IPL, and we have some amazing batsmen in our team so it has been a great journey so far.”

Asked whether he would like his team to give chance to more players in the remaining two games, Shikhar said, “It is up to the team management definitely, but I do not think we are going to make any major changes, as it is important to maintain the momentum in such a tournament.”

The Indian opener was also full of praise for his Captain Shreyas Iyer. He said, “Shreyas has been a great leader. He is learning so much from this tournament and the way he has handled the situations in such a high-pressure tournament, it is great to see. He doesn’t react much when players make mistakes, and is always motivating the boys. He has a very good cricket brain, and he is using that on the field with the bowling changes, and fielding placements, as well as taking responsibility with the bat.”

The last time the two teams played at CSK’s home ground, it was held in Pune at the Maharashtra Cricket Association’s International Stadium. The match saw a rampant CSK put on 211/4 on the board as Shane Watson scored 78 off 40 balls, while MS Dhoni was not out on 51 off 22 balls. In response, the Delhi-based team could only manage 198/5 in their 20 overs as KM Asif picked up 2-43 and Lungi Ngidi picked up 1-26. For Delhi, Rishabh Pant scored 79 off just 45 balls while Vijay Shankar was not out on 54 off 31 balls, but could not get his side over the line.

The two teams have faced each other on 19 previous occasions which has seen CSK register a whopping 13 victories while Delhi has managed only 6 wins.