IPL 2020 | Delhi need to be all-round performers to win IPL, opines Mohammad Kaif
Delhi Capitals assistant coach Mohammad Kaif has asserted that the club needs to chase well and become an all-round performing side if they have to lift the title this season. So far, Delhi are leading the IPL points table with seven wins after nine games, losing a mere two matches.
After finishing third last season, Delhi Capitals, this season, have taken off from right where they had left and have emerged indomitable in IPL 2020, leading the IPL points table with 14 points after nine games. But the central theme of their wins has been batting first, putting up a good score on the board and putting pressure on the opposition with a great bowling line-up spearheaded by Kagiso Rabada, the leading wicket-taker in the tournament.
Six of the seven wins this season for Delhi have come batting first. When it comes to chasing, they have struggled, losing the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad and narrowly winning the thriller when put up versus Chennai Super Kings. Very well aware of their chasing issues, DC's assistant coach, Mohammad Kaif, stated that DC need to be all-round team if they are to win the title.
"To win a tournament like IPL, you have to be all-round performers. If you bat first, you have to put runs on the board, which we have been doing in this tournament. But if you bat second, you should be able to chase down the target," Kaif told PTI, reported TOI.
"That's the strength of the team and we want to achieve that kind of target you know, so that when we are put in to bowl first and chase a target, we should be able to do it."
"We are very happy at the moment because in the first game that we chased, we lost against SRH. We couldn't chase their target of about 160, but against CSK it was good, because it was a tough task to chase. We were not chasing well so far in this tournament – we were a defending kind of team. Our bowlers have done well so far."
Shikhar Dhawan was the star of the show in DC's last win against CSK in Sharjah, where he notched up his maiden IPL century after struggling for form and strike-rate in the early phase of the league. Kaif applauded Dhawan and said it was great to see the veteran make his first century in the cash-rich league.
"It was good to see Shikhar - the way he batted, and he had been doing so well in the whole tournament, but was getting 20s, 30s every single game. So it was good to see him also getting his first hundred in the IPL," Kaif said.
Delhi have a great balance when it comes experience and youth. The likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, and Kagiso Rabada add a lot of experience to the side. Kaif stated that he's happy with players as all of them have chipped in with useful performances, helping the side keep its boat afloat despite injuries threatening to derail the campgain.
"We have some experienced players in the squad and have good bench strength – of course we were a bit unlucky with some big injuries. But overall we have a squad to go all the way and so far we have done well," Kaif said.
"All the players have been fantastic for us, and it's actually a great headache for the opponents. They would think how to plan against DC, who have got so many match winners in their squad – to really contain and beat us on the day."
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