EXCLUSIVE
Follow UsWith plenty of foreign players exiting the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis in India, former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim reckons it is a tough call for them to leave the tournament midway, but a decision that should be respected.
“All the foreign players look forward to playing in the IPL, because it generally propels them into international recognition. After getting picked in an IPL team and then to say bye and go back to look after their families, I’m sure it would have come after a lot of deliberation and discussions and introspection with the family members. I respect their decisions and these are very challenging times for all of us. I hope all those who have decided to go back, they find peace and solace being with their family members,” he said in a face-off with Criclytics, Cricket.com’s AI-driven prediction platform
Even India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin announced that he is taking a break from the IPL to support his family, which is a huge blow for DC going ahead.
Prithvi Shaw bounced back extremely well after he was dropped from the Indian team. He scored tons of runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and has started off well in the IPL as well, slamming a couple of fifties in his five innings so far, which is something Karim is impressed by.
“This is a new Prithivi Shaw we are seeing. He has worked very hard on his technique, worked very hard on his temperament and I find it very heartening to know that a youngster after being dropped from the national side, comes back into the domestic circuit and puts up loads of runs,” Karim said on said on Cricket.com’s Man vs Machine.
“He has runs behind him and he also understands the need of DC all the time. As an opener, he is there to give them a sound start. The kind of confidence he has right now, the number of runs he has scored even in this IPL – all this really brings his confidence up. He is such a pristine player, he does not have to do anything different. If he can continue like this, one can expect something big from Prithvi Shaw in the forthcoming matches as well,” he added.
Axar returned to the DC team for the first time after recovering from Covid-19 in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Sunday (April 25). After finishing with 2 for 26, Axar bowled an excellent Super Over, giving away just seven runs against the likes of David Warner and Kane Williamson.
Karim, who is also a scout for DC and is currently quarantining in Ahmedabad, says that he loves such challenges and his contest against Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers is going to be an intriguing one.
“DC are happy to have Axar Patel are back in the team. He brings in so much experience. He’s got loads of experience playing a number of IPL matches. I think the international exposure he got during the home series against England really bodes well for Axar. He loves such challenges. I read somewhere that in the last encounter he was the one who went up to Rishabh Pant and said you give me the ball, I’ll bowl the Super Over. That’s the kind of confidence that one expects from a young guy line Axar,” the former India selector said
“He is up against two of the cleanest stroke players (De Villiers and Maxwell) in the world, on a different kind of a track which dies benefit the batsmen. This is going to be an intriguing clash,” he added.
Both DC and RCB have eight points from five matches. While DC have now won three in a row, RCB suffered a massive 69-run loss against CSK after winning the first four matches. It will be interesting to see if DC continue their momentum or if RCB bounce back after their loss. This certainly is a crucial match in terms of making it to the playoffs.
