In T20 where pace on the ball helps batters set up games, playing three spinners is always a better option than two. More so on pitches like at Brabourne in Mumbai that are evidently starting to slow down to add to the spinners’ mystery. But you still need to know how to utilise the spinners, rotate them, plug the runs and take as many wickets as possible. Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant did so with aplomb on Wednesday, guiding the Covid-affected team to the most convincing IPL win in terms of balls remaining. And he had a perfectly diverse combination to achieve that—an off-spinner (Lalit Yadav), a slow left-arm bowler (Axar Patel) and a left-arm wrist spinner (Kuldeep Yadav). (<strong>Follow IPL 2022 Coverage</strong>)
While there is no doubt Rajasthan Royals have pulled off a coup in pairing Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal, Delhi Capitals aren’t far behind. Fielding three spinners can be a slightly risky proposition though, more so because you need backup in case one of them fluffs his lines. That didn’t happen on Wednesday however. “On a wicket like this, I thought the ball was stopping a bit and that's why I used more of the spinners,” said Pant later. An early breakthrough in the form of Shikhar Dhawan—Pant brilliantly holding on to his attempted paddle off a shorter delivery from Lalit — in the fourth over helped strengthen that belief too. “The wicket was a bit sticky and it was holding up a bit, we figured that out in the powerplay itself,” said Patel later.
Starting with that six-run over from Lalit, Pant quickly brought on Patel and Kuldeep to alternate with the pacers. Patel delivered first, dragging back his length and taking the ball away from Liam Livingstone who had skipped down the pitch looking to clear the infield, leading to an easy stumping. Kuldeep conceded three boundaries in his first two overs but then got two wickets in his last over to reduce Punjab Kings to 90/7. It couldn’t have been achieved without the contribution of Patel, wheeling away from the other end, conceding just nine in three overs by then. Kuldeep acknowledged it as well. “I would like to share this (MoM) award with Axar. He bowled well and took important wickets in the middle,” he said at the post-match presentation.
{{/usCountry}}Starting with that six-run over from Lalit, Pant quickly brought on Patel and Kuldeep to alternate with the pacers. Patel delivered first, dragging back his length and taking the ball away from Liam Livingstone who had skipped down the pitch looking to clear the infield, leading to an easy stumping. Kuldeep conceded three boundaries in his first two overs but then got two wickets in his last over to reduce Punjab Kings to 90/7. It couldn’t have been achieved without the contribution of Patel, wheeling away from the other end, conceding just nine in three overs by then. Kuldeep acknowledged it as well. “I would like to share this (MoM) award with Axar. He bowled well and took important wickets in the middle,” he said at the post-match presentation.
{{/usCountry}}Kuldeep continues to be on the rise, going from strength to strength and finally displaying the confidence to flight the ball and let it rip. “Through this IPL, I have been quite confident and mentally clear about what needs to be done,” said Kuldeep. “When I err in length, I am not perturbed by it. If my length is good, then I can slip in the wrong ’un and the flipper. I don’t see videos at all at this point in time, because I have played against all of these batters. I am just focusing on how I feel. I am enjoying my bowling after a long time, and a lot of credit should go to Rishabh for the way that he backs bowlers even when we go for runs. That’s a huge positive for us.”
In Kuldeep, Patel and Lalit, Delhi Capitals have the wherewithal to make batters work hard for runs every match. But there needs to be a consolidated effort at play. On Wednesday, three spinners combined to account for six wickets in 10 overs, conceding just 45 runs—a captain couldn’t have asked for more really. That Capitals achieved that while retaining their composure despite a Covid outbreak in their camp also says a lot about the level of commitment. "We tried to focus on cricket, nothing else. Once we reached the ground, that’s what Ricky (Ponting, Capitals’ head coach) told us,” said Patel.