Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani said dismissing big-hitting former South African skipper Faf du Plessis was a difficult call but the organization wanted to shift towards a younger and more aggressive option aligned with the team’s style of play. During his IPL career, which came to an end on Monday with his decision to retire from the tournament, Du Plessis played for the Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant. He was a part of DC’s setup last season and will now feature in the Pakistan Super League.
It’s never easy to release a player of Faf du Plessis’ caliber. During the “TATA IPL Retention” broadcast in Jiostar, Badani stated, “Letting him go was a really tough decision because he has been a stellar performer in the IPL for many years.”
“But we felt it was time to move towards a younger option, someone who could bring a more aggressive style that fits the brand of cricket we want to play.” Explaining the rationale behind parting ways with Australian hitter Jake Fraser-McGurk, Badani said: “With Jake Fraser-McGurk, we backed him given how he played last season, but at nine crore, we didn’t feel we got enough return from that investment.
We therefore thought it was best to let him leave as well. Overall, we are extremely delighted with the group we have right now.”
DC must secure their top order: Kumble
Former India skipper Anil Kumble says Delhi Capitals have acquired good Indian talent but must tighten up their opening combination immediately.
“Delhi Capitals absolutely need to lock in their opening combination,” Kumble stated.
“They have good Indian alternatives with Nitish Rana arriving as a left-hander. Players like KL Rahul, Abhishek Porel, Karun Nair and Nitish Rana give them significant domestic punch.
“KL Rahul moved from number four to opening, thus consistency is crucial. They have to choose who bats at one, two, three, and four. They can support foreign all-rounders and Tristan Stubbs in the middle order if they are comfortable. According to Kumble, Sunrisers Hyderabad, who finished sixth in the previous season, would also need to improve their bowling and deal with their middle order problems in the next auction.
SRH certainly need a lot of bowlers this time, and I have a feeling they may also look at someone like David Miller. His left-handed balance and demonstrated finishing abilities are what their middle order needed in the previous campaign.
“They relied a lot on their openers, who were outstanding when they advanced to the final earlier. However, it is crucial to reinforce that intermediate stage.
“If they have Klaasen and Miller, two South Africans, controlling the middle overs, it gives SRH a far more solid and powerful line-up.” The IPL auction is scheduled on December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
