'He never gets the credit he deserves but he's an IPL legend': Kaif picks Delhi Capitals' 'X-factor' for IPL 2023
Ahead of the start of the season, former Delhi Capitals assistant coach Mohammad Kaif picked the 'X factor' from the side while making a glorious statement on his status in IPL history.
Exactly a week left before the blockbuster Indian Premier League (IPL) kicks off in Ahmedabad for the 16th season. Delhi Capitals who are one of the few franchises yet to win the elusive trophy, will begin their campaign a day later, when they face Lucknow Super Giants in an away encounter. Ahead of the start of the season, former Delhi Capitals assistant coach Mohammad Kaif picked the 'X factor' from the side while making a glorious statement on his status in IPL history.
Delhi will be without their regular skipper Rishabh Pant. He suffered an unfortunate car accident last December and is still recovering from it. Pant will remain unavailable for the better part of the year. David Warner, who had previously led Sunrisers Hyderabad to IPL title glory in 2016, has hence been named the captain in his stead.
In conversation with Star Sports before IPL 2023, Kaif picked Warner as Delhi's 'X factor' for the season, while adding that the Aussie never gets credit that he deserves despite being a legend of IPL.
“The team's strength for me, I'll always say is Warner. He is the kind of player that whenever he's in form, he can win matches single-handedly. Warner probably never gets the credit he deserves but he's proven to be a legendary batter in IPL history. He has understood the Indian conditions supremely well. He's been playing in India for a while. So for me Warner is the X factor,” he said.
It was homecoming for Warner last year when he returned to the Delhi franchise after 13 years. Back in 2009, the Aussie had begun his IPL journey with Delhi before moving to SRH. He scored 432 runs for Delhi in IPL 2022 season with five fifties at a strike rate of 150.52.
When asked about Delhi's weakness, Kaif pointed that finding an able replacement of Pant will be their biggest challenge. “Delhi needs to decide who's going to replace Rishabh Pant. It will be a daunting question,” he added.
