DC: Flatter To Deceive
Delhi Capitals were beaten comprehensively by Mumbai Indians a couple of nights ago, which resulted in their exit from the playoffs race in the IPL. A campaign that began brilliantly with 4 consecutive wins, just derailed completely as the tournament progressed. The Delhi squad promised so much but failed to deliver when it mattered, thus prolonging an already agonising wait for the IPL crown.
DC Crumbling Under Their Weight
There would be several prophecies on DC’s debacle, however, it appeared to me that Delhi crumbled under its own weight of expectations. The euphoria and the accolades that followed their initial burst were suggestive that playoff qualification was not far away. There were huge expectations, and some, like me, even suggested the first IPL title for DC.
Fraser – McGurk, A Huge Disappointment For DC
Soaring expectations belied some dangerous cracks in the DC outfit. Jake Fraser McGurk was a massive disappointment for DC upfront. His contribution was negligible, and he always put DC under pressure at the start. Faf got injured, which further tightened up DC.
Rahul Puts In A Fine Display In An Otherwise Inconsistent Batting Performance
Abhishek Porel played well, and though KL Rahul played two brilliant knocks, he could not save the Capitals when it was required most. Karun Nair had a great opportunity to hijack the IPL, but he had just one inning of value against MI, as his form just tapered off surprisingly.
Players Fail To Match Expectations
Axar Patel played decent knocks but nothing extravagant and game-changing, though he certainly impressed as captain. Ashutosh Sharma got DC through in the first game against LSG, but then did nothing much to talk about. Sameer Rizvi was another disappointment for DC. A lot more was required from Tristan Stubbs, too, but he failed to match expectations.
When DC’s Bowling Faltered, Their Batting Cracks Were Laid Bare
The cracks in the batting were well covered by sensational bowling displays from Mitch Starc ( he got a 5-wicket haul too ) and Kuldeep Yadav. Their bowling, backed up well by Mukesh Kumar and Vipraj, was responsible for DC’s great start. But once the bowlers got under the pump, the batting got completely exposed. The other teams in the competition realised DC’s loose strings and pulled them up. This unsettled DC completely, and they started losing more than winning games.
DC’s Wait For Silverware Extends
DC will rue their chances. They had a well-balanced team and were good enough to have a crack at the Championship, but will have to wait another year.
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