While Delhi Capitals (DC) have made it to the playoffs with ease, they still face an uphill battle in the final week of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) season to win their maiden title. Despite finishing top of the table, they still have issues to resolve in outfit going into the business end of the title as the defeat against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) showed.
One key area of concern will be the form of star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who has not looked at his best in the ongoing edition. In 11 matches this season, he has only taken five wickets at a below-par average of 57. Meanwhile, in the UAE leg, he has played all six games for DC but managed only four scalps.
Coming into the knockout games, Rishabh Pant would desperately need his star-bowler to be among the wickets. However, with him, bowling just one over against RCB, questions are being raised on the team’s trust in him.
Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has opined on the issue and asked Ashwin to focus on bowling off-spinners rather than thinking too much about variations like carrom ball. Speaking to EspnCricinfo, Gambhir said, “You are an off-spinner and your carrom ball is your variation. Look to bowl off-spin till the time you get hit for six. Look to get wickets and you will get wickets because you are probably the best off-spinner in the world.”
While Ashwin has lacked wickets this season, he has bowled at an extremely impressive economy rate of 7.33. With the experience of winning the IPL title twice before with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Ashwin will be a very important member of the Capitals’ side going into the big games.
The Capitals will face the Super Kings’ in the first qualifier on Sunday with a place in the final on the line for the winner. The losing side will await the winner of the eliminator between the Royal Challengers and Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 2.
Ashwin earned a comeback into the Indian limited-overs team for the first time in four years after finding his name in the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
