Delhi Capitals (DC) may look like one of the most equipped sides on paper with some noteworthy buys in the recent mega auction, but the team will be without their star batter Shreyas Iyer this season. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) shelled out a whopping ₹12.25 crore to snap up Shreyas, who will be seen donning the captain's hat for the purple-clad outfit. He had also led Delhi Capitals from 2018 to 2020 before Rishabh Pant's appointment. (ALSO READ | DC IPL 2022 Schedule: Delhi Capitals complete fixtures, match timings, venues and dates- All you need to know)
The Delhi-based outfit had retained Pant ( ₹16 crore) and Prithvi Shaw ( ₹7.5 crore) and further added David Warner ( ₹6.25 crore) to strengthen their batting unit. But the team lacks pedigree with the likes of Iyer, Shikhar Dhawan and Ashwin not being in the mix, feels former India batter Aakash Chopra, who plied his trade for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as well.
Chopra also weighed in on Kuldeep Yadav's addition to the Delhi bowling mix but rued the absence of Ashwin, who headed to Rajasthan Royals (RR) for a hefty sum of ₹5 crore. “They have taken Kuldeep Yadav but, on the other hand, Ravichandran Ashwin has been released. Earlier, they had Amit Mishra, now they have to make do with Pravin Dubey and Lalit Yadav. In the batting, they released Shikhar Dhawan and picked Yash Dhull, Mandeep Singh and Srikar Bharat," said Chopra in a discussion on ESPNCricinfo.
“There is only one Shreyas Iyer, which is why he was sold for ₹12.25 crore. Sarfaraz cannot be his replacement. On paper, the players are promising, but the pedigree is not there with Dhawan, Iyer and Ashwin gone," he further added.
{{/usCountry}}“There is only one Shreyas Iyer, which is why he was sold for ₹12.25 crore. Sarfaraz cannot be his replacement. On paper, the players are promising, but the pedigree is not there with Dhawan, Iyer and Ashwin gone," he further added.
{{/usCountry}}Former India opener Wasim Jaffer also spoke about Delhi's squad and pinned hopes on Sarfaraz, who had recently slammed 275 against Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy. He also notched up 165 versus Odisha to continue his purple patch.
“The quality of earlier is not there. But with two teams being added, more youngsters will get a chance to play. It will be beneficial for them. Sarfaraz Khan is in great form. He and a few other players will relish that opportunity," said Jaffer.
The Capitals will kick-start their campaign this year against Mumbai Indians on March 27 at the Brabourne Stadium (CCI) in Mumbai. The Rishabh Pant-led side is a part of Group A and will take on its fellow group members Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, and Lucknow Super Giants two times each.