New Delhi, March 20 Former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist warned that Jake Fraser-McGurk could find himself warming the bench in the Delhi Capitals if he doesn’t produce results early in the tournament, highlighting how unforgiving IPL franchises can be during form slumps.
Fraser-McGurk was picked up by the Capitals as an injury replacement last year, and he went on to score 330 runs in nine innings with four fifties during his maiden IPL. He finished with a strike rate of 234.04, the second-highest figure of the tournament.
The franchise did not retain him; instead, it purchased him at the IPL auction via the 'Right to Match' card for Rs 9 crores. But the youngster's T20I performances have dipped over the past 12 months; across his 24 most recent matches, he has managed 382 runs at 15.91 with a strike rate of 136.91.
"(Delhi) have shown great faith in keeping him at the franchise. It’s important he starts well. What I do know of the IPL typically is that franchises and owners and coaches, don’t tolerate a lack of results for too long.
“If you start a tournament well, that buys you time to get deeper into it and feel comfortable, but Jake’s aware that he’ll need to fire from the start to make sure he can establish a strong tournament for himself and for his team," Gilchrist told Fox Cricket.
Gilchrist also predicted that Fraser-McGurk would flourish on Arun Jaitley Stadium’s flat surface and short boundaries if he didn’t go too hard, too early.
“The wicket that he batted on was extraordinarily high-scoring last year. All the offerings will be there. It’s up to him now to keep a level head on those opportunities.
“I think he’s as level-headed as anyone, but just keeps a balance to execute his skills really well without getting too far ahead of himself. Like everyone, I’m always excited watching him play, just fingers crossed he can play long innings," he said.
The 18th edition of the IPL will commence on Saturday, with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Delhi Capitals will kick off their campaign against the Lucknow Super Giants at Vishakhapatnam's ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium on March 24.
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