New Delhi, May 6 Former India spinner Piyush Chawla weighed in on Delhi Capitals’ dramatic slide in form, highlighting that the Axar Patel-led side, which once was a strong contender for playoffs, is now in danger of missing out to finish in the top four.
On Monday, Delhi's match against Sunrisers Hyderabad was called due to heavy rain at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Both teams shared a point each.
With the result, DC remained at no. 5 with 13 points from 11 games while SRH moved to no. 8 in the points table with 7 points from 11 games. This further opens up this season’s race to play-offs.
DC are still in with more than a decent chance with games remaining against Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings, and if they win all three matches and finish on 19, they will stand a great chance of a top-two finish.
"It’s going to be really tough. In their last six games, they’ve lost four. While the game wasn’t completely over for DC against SRH, it looked like it was heading SRH’s way based on the total they posted. The next three games are critical and they need to win at least two — ideally all three — and for that to happen, their experienced players must step up and deliver," said Chawla on JioHotstar.
Before the rain played spoilsport, skipper Pat Cummins (3-19) gave SRH an impressive start by removing Karun Nair off the very first ball. He followed it up with the wickets of Faf du Plessis and Abhishek Porel in his next two overs, leaving DC reeling at 26/4 inside the powerplay.
Jaydev Unadkat dismissed KL Rahul, and Cummins pulled off a stunning catch to send back Axar Patel, reducing DC to 47/5 at the halfway mark. Ashutosh Sharma (41) and Tristan Stubbs (41 not out) stitched together a 66-run stand to lift DC to 133/7.
Sharing his perspective on DC's frequent opening changes and selection dilemmas, Chawla commented on the instability at the top. "When KL Rahul opened, it was a forced change because Faf du Plessis was injured. Rahul was meant to bat at No. 3 or 4 to anchor the innings during pressure situations. DC have already tried six or seven combinations at the top. Their biggest bet was Jake Fraser-McGurk, which didn’t pay off recently," he said.
"But I feel they should go back to him — if he fires, he can give you explosive start in the powerplay. If he doesn’t, it’s no different from what’s already happening. This is the time to take bold decisions. They’re in a do-or-die situation. A team that once looked like the first to seal a play-off spot is now in danger of missing out entirely," Chawla added.
DC had a fiery start to their campaign, winning five of the first six matches, but their impressive run started to derail in the second half as they managed to win just one win in next five matches, including the one that ended with no result.
Commenting on DC's recent struggles, former India cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar said, "They’ve lost momentum, and when the openers don’t fire, it’s always a danger sign for any T20 team. When the top three perform, it eases pressure on the middle order and boosts the confidence in the dugout. But when you lose two or three wickets in the powerplay, you find yourself in complete disorder.
"Losing half the side for under 60 was a tough position for DC. Credit, however, to the partnership between Ashutosh Sharma and Tristan Stubbs, they gave DC something to fight with, which could’ve ended up being a competitive total."
DC will travel to Dharamshala to play the Punjab Kings on May 8, while SRH will play their next game on May 10 against KKR at home.
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