File photo of Delhi Capitals pacer Kagiso Rabada (far right) with Shreyas Iyer (centre).
Delhi Capitals have been a rejuvenated side under their present captain Shreyas Iyer as the outfit looks to get into play-offs for the second consecutive year, shedding the tag of perennial underachievers.
The team is currently tied at the top of the IPL 2020 points table with 14 points with Royal Challengers Bangalore and leading by the virtue of superior net run rate. And there’s Friday’s game against Sunrisers Hyderabad could see them off to the play-off stages.
Speaking ahead of the game, DC’s pacer and purple cap holder Kagiso Rabada was all praise of Shreyas Iyer for showing everyone he can lead by example and added team’s liberal environment has duly helped him.
“Shreyas has been unbelievable for a young captain, especially when you leading overseas players and on a big stage such as the IPL, which is no Mickey Mouse stage. He is also leading from the front,” said Rabada during team’s virtual press conference from Abu Dhabi.
“But Shreyas is just a normal guy, who has to make decisions when he gets onto the field. And fortunately, he has some senior players and Ricky Ponting is helping out him as well. The team has a very liberal environment which has been the reason behind our success.”
Taking 21 wickets in 10 games, Rabada has been replicating his last year’s performance when he finished the season with 25 wickets in 12 games. The 25-year-old pacer feels despite his similar consistency, the wickets in the UAE is very different than India while shedding light on how the turfs have been playing a trick with them.
“The conditions have been different from India and wickets has been tricky. We have been playing in the same venue and at certain times on fresh wickets and at times on used wickets. They all play quite differently.
“Sharjah was really flat at the beginning then it sort of slowed down. Wickets are offering some seam movement sometimes especially the wickets in Abu Dhabi. But all the pitches are definitely on the slower side like India but different kind of slower and bowlers have to work had to churn out wickets,” he said.
