IPL 2020: ‘I am a little worried,’ Aakash Chopra points out two big weaknesses for Delhi Capitals ahead of Mumbai Indians clash

IPL 2020: Former India opening batsman Aakash Chopra feels that Delhi Capitals have a far better bowling unit than Mumbai Indians, but also reckons the team has endured a few lapses along the way.

The Delhi Capitals will be up for a stern test in Qualifier of the IPL 2020 on Thursday in Abu Dhabi against the defending champions Mumbai Indians, who bossed the league stage to finish with 18 points. MI hold the end over DC primarily for two reasons. One is because MI have beaten DC twice already this season and secondly, as compared to MI’s string of wins in the league stage, the Capitals have lost their previous four games out of five.

IPL 2020: File image of Delhi Capitals captain Shreyas Iyer (Delh Capitals/Twitter)

Former India opening batsman Aakash Chopra, however feels that individually, Capitals have a far better bowling unit with the likes of Anrich Nortje and Purple Cap holder Kagiso Rabada being the two premier pacers for DC, along with the core strength, which is their domestic batting line-up which comprises some big names.

“If we do a man-to-man marking, the Delhi Capitals bowling unit looks better to me than the Mumbai Indians. Because they have Rabada’s wicket-taking ability, Nortje is super fast and a wicket-taker and the two spinners are amazing. Earlier it was even better when they had Mishra available as an option,” Chopra said on his YouTube video.

“The other is their Indian batting core. It has failed in between. I totally get it if you feel how it is a strength. “But it is a strength when you can have Prithvi Shaw with Shikhar Dhawan, then Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant. No team has 5 Indian top-order batsmen, this team doesn’t need an overseas player in the top 5. So if you see that way, the Indian batting core is outstanding.

“Also a lot of them have experience. Shikhar Dhawan is an experienced player, Shreyas Iyer is now a sure-shot experienced player and the captain as well, Rishabh Pant has also played for quite a few years, Prithvi Shaw is also not a greenhorn and Ajinkya Rahane has been playing for a long time. So, they have experience, pedigree and class.”

But while some of these names have been brilliant, Chopra reckons DC have endured a few lapses along the way, most prominent being the lack of runs from Prithvi Shaw at the top and Rishabh Pant in the middle order. Shaw began the tournament showing sparks, but now finds himself in the middle of a horrible batting slump with his last six innings reading, 4, 0, 0, 7, 10, 9.

Pant on the other hand, has gotten a few starts but his inability to get going and rotate strike has hurt DC. Pant has a reputation of being a big and clean striker of the ball, but this year, that ability seems to have eluded him. Captain Shreyas Iyer has scored 421 runs this season, but even he has found it tough to get a move in.

“The weakness is that some of the players have had a slight dip in form in the last little while. I am a little worried about Prithvi Shaw that he goes on playing his shots and plays a high-risk game, doesn’t bother about getting out but he is getting out more often,” Chopra elaborated.

“Rishabh Pant hasn’t really looked himself. So these are the two biggest concerns. Shreyas Iyer has scored more than 400 runs. But the impact knocks from him have been far and few between. So I am expecting more as the standards are high for him.”