Nothing has gone right for Delhi Capitals this season so far as it all started with the horrific car accident of Rishabh Pant which ruled him out of the tournament and led to the search to find his replacement as skipper and wicketkeeper. Delhi scouted several players and picked Abishek Porel as his replacement as a wicketkeeper, while the management displayed faith in veteran star David Warner to help them end their title drought. Warner, who already led Sunrisers Hyderabad to their maiden title in the 2016 season, took over the charge of the franchise where he started his IPL journey. However, it has not been an ideal ride for him so far. Delhi have lost five matches in a row and are yet to open their accounts on the points table, several fans have also started losing hope for their revival this season.
However, the spirits are high in the Delhi Capitals’ camp ahead of their crucial clash against Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday at Arun Jaitley Stadium. On the eve of the mega clash, the Capitals squad looked united more than ever as they started the training with a long huddle and then kicked off the session with a fun intra-squad football match. Several players like Manish Pandey, David Warner, Rovman Powell, Aman Khan, and Rilee Rossouw showcased their skills with the foot while Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly also joined them in the energetic session. After the short football match, players returned to their normal routine of starting things with some catching and fielding practice before switching to nets for some batting sessions.
Meanwhile, batting has been a big letdown for Delhi Capitals this season as both overseas and domestic talents have failed to put up a show for their side so far. Captain Warner (228) has been the leading run-getter for them but his strike rate (116.92) has put him under the scanners.
Explosive Mitchell Marsh has also failed to get going in the three matches he has played which includes a couple of ducks and a four.
However, the Aussie batter has full faith in his abilities and is confident of bouncing back in the coming games. Ahead of the KKR clash, Marsh said he knows his capabilities and will continue with his process and won’t let the game dictate his playing style.
“What’s been really important for me over the last couple of years and what’s allowed me to be probably the most consistent batter as I can be throughout my whole career, batting number three, that I don’t let the game dictate how I play. I have a lot of confidence in my processes and my routines to be able to go out there and play really aggressively from ball one," Marsh said in the pre-match press conference.
“Ultimately I haven’t been able to execute in my first three games that I played so far. Like I said before, in times like this you can search for a lot of answers, but ultimately I know that my process works. I know that I’m good enough, so it’s about sticking to that and having the courage to make sure I keep going out there and having really good intent," he added.
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Marsh made honest admission that the batters in Delhi Capitals have failed to put up a show, especially at the start of the innings. He also talked about the solution to the big problem.
“There’s no doubt that we would like to be batting better. I think if you look at all five matches, we haven’t been able to get off to a reasonable start. I think in these situations it really just comes back down to basics. The solution is partnerships, batting together as a team and then defending a total. So I think in these times, you can often search lot of answers, but the simple thing is batting in partnerships, we need one person to get a big score, which we haven’t been able to do in all five games. If we can do that, then I think we’ll turn it around," he asserted.
Care Deeply About Playing For Delhi and Representing This City
Marsh said that spirits remain high in the squad despite a poor start to the tournament as he suggested that players care deeply about each other in the camp and called it a family.
“It’s always difficult when the team’s losing, that’s for sure. I think there are a lot of guys in our squad that would like to perform better because as a few of my coaches have always said, winning is much more fun than losing but the spirits remained high. What I’ve felt over the last couple of years with Delhi is that it is actually a family and we care deeply about each other," he added.
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He also shared his feelings about representing the capital of the country in a big tournament like the IPL.
“We care deeply about playing for Delhi and representing this beautiful city and the spirit’s high. We’re all working extremely hard and I know that we’ve got the talent to hopefully turn it around. Often in tournaments like this, you just need to win in one game change of fortunes and, hopefully, that’s tomorrow night," he added.
Warner Instills Players With a Lot of Confidence
Marsh also came in support of skipper Warner and said he is a fantastic leader who always instils confidence and belief in the players despite the tough times in the tournament.
“Dave’s been fantastic. He’s a ball of energy. There’s been a lot of talk about his batting, I can assure you that I’d rather be in his position than mine. He’s a brilliant captain, He instils us with a lot of confidence. Hopefully, you can see the way he gets us into a huddle after every weekend and he’s talking to us," Marsh said in support of Warner.
The Aussie batter also said that his compatriot loves playing for Delhi where it all started for him in the IPL.
“He’s remaining positive. I think that’s really important in T20 Cricket. He’s got a really good ability to stay but ultimately when the team loses, questions get asked about stuff. But as far as I can say, he’s a fantastic leader. He loves playing for Delhi. This is where his career started. He’s got a real connection with this team and with his franchise. So he’s leading to the best visibility and he’s been great for us," he added.
Yash Dhull Got a Really Big Future
Talking about the young talents in the squad, Marsh talked highly of India’s 2022 U-19 World Cup-winning captain Yash Dhull and said he loves learning to get better. The premier Australian all-rounder further advised the youngsters to play the ball not the bowler when they face international stars who clocks 145 kmph at regular intervals.
“I think it’s really important for young players to not play the bowler and play the ball, whether someone’s bowling 145 kmph or 130, ultimately you have to watch the ball and react. And facing guys, getting our young guys facing guys like that, the best bowlers in the world, the fast bowlers in the world it’s an invaluable experience for them. So guys like Yash Dhull, he’s got a really big future. He’s a great young kid, he loves learning. That’s part of our culture here at Delhi, making sure everyone’s learning and wanting to get better. Unfortunately, our results don’t show that at the moment, but, it’s just gaining experience for these young guys. I truly believe that our season is well and truly not over. And these guys that keep gaining experience at this level, once they get a bit of confidence and we’ll see them shine," he added.
Proud to be in Australia Squad for Ashes
Marsh also received great news ahead of the KKR clash as he has been included in Australia’s squad for the World Test Championship Final and Ashes 2023. The swashbuckling all-rounder was elated to return to red-ball set-up but also knew that he is going to be a backup for Cameron Green on the big tour.
“Very proud I had the surgery five months ago, six months ago now. My main goal in having that surgery was to get into the Ashes squad and be a part of it. My third Ashes series in England, which is really great and I’m looking forward to hopefully I’m understanding that I’m back up for Cameron Green, who’s an amazing young player really proud to be in the squad," Marsh said.
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