Follow UsAfter winning the first game against Mumbai Indians (MI), Delhi Capitals (DC) have sort of slacked off and ended up losing their next two. They will be up against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who have won three out of their four matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 so far and will look to make it three back-to-back wins.
Shreyas will be against familiar opponents in DC, who he led to the IPL final in 2020. He was in terrific form leading up to the tournament, which included a player of the series accolade in the T20I series against Sri Lanka.
While he has not been in the best of forms this season, registering scores of 20*, 13, 26 and 10 in his four outings so far, former Sri Lanka all-rounder Russel Arnold believes it would be unwise to write the KKR captain off.
“He was getting runs so easily [ahead of the season], so dominant and tactically was smart while batting as well,” Arnold said while previewing the KKR vs DC clash on Cricket.com.
“He always knows when to attack the bowler. He'll surprise you, which is important. He'll control an innings. We are not seeing that. He's the captain of a new team, he is maybe getting used to the dynamics.
“Probably, that's the difference from him performing out of his skin to now thinking too much or captaining while batting. Unlike in Delhi, where he knew everything in and out. He's new here. Maybe a bit of time to settle down and we'll see the Shreyas Iyer of the past. He's got a lot to offer so don't write him off.”
Despite an underwhelming start to the tournament, Arnold reckons DC will pull it together and get things right going forward.
“They have taken things for granted just a wee bit. They were powerful last year. They played wonderful cricket and fell at the post basically,” Arnold said.
“Coming into this year, you look at the squad that they have. They have recruited well. The system seems to have gotten better. Familiarity with Ricky Ponting is there. Rishabh Pant was outstanding leading up to the tournament. A lot of things looked very rosy.
“But that's not how things work. It comes down to what you do on the day. They are missing a trick there. They have got the goods to pull it back, unlike a few other teams.
“But DC are a team that you don't look past. They got caught on the hop in the last game. Some fantastic bowling, Lockie Ferguson's pace and bounce really surprised them. But going forward, I think they'll get it right.”
Another area of concern for DC is the fact that the duo of Shardul Thakur and Axar Patel have picked up just a solitary wicket between them this season so far. How should Ponting deal with this? Patience is the key reckons Arnold.
“He'll have to stay patient. The pitches are different than what you normally get. The wear and tear will come in, the groundsman is going to struggle to maintain these pitches as the games are coming thick and fast. Hence, a lot more grass left, which is a different equation to what you're used to in the IPL or cricket in the subcontinent,” Arnold, who has scored over 5,500 runs for Sri Lanka, said.
“If he wants Axar Patel, he's got to wait till the end of April because that's when the ball is going to grip a little bit more.
“Thakur is a different type of prospect, He's got that slower ball, which really has an effect. He's a wicket-taker. But dew is playing a big part and hence the impact of certain players are limited at this stage.”
The KKR spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy have been doing the job for their side this season so far, having picked up five wickets between them and have choked the batters conceding runs at 5.56 per over.
Arnold reckons if DC manage to attack the other bowlers, it could affect the thought process of the spinners, which could work in the batters’ favour.
“The focus is too much on these mystery spinners. If you look at the KKR games, the spinners have come in at a good time. Batsmen are under pressure and when the batsmen do not pick them as well as he should, he is in trouble. These types of bowlers will pick up those wickets and strangle you. That's what's happening,” Arnold said.
“What the batsmen need to do is play the other bowlers well. Get into a situation where you are on top and dominating. The effects of these mystery spinners are different. He's not going to be thinking about wickets or of strangling. He's going to be thinking of maybe damage control. That's the best way to counter them.”