'KL Rahul has gone off the boil. You lost faith in…': Delhi Capitals batters thrashed in brutal assessment
The ex-IND opener pointed out the failures of Fraser-McGurk, Karun, and Du Plessis. He also talked about KL's recent slump, which has also let the team down.
Delhi Capitals have lost the momentum in the tricky playoffs race, and the sluggish batting performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad in rain-affected Tuesday's match has put them under more scrutiny. The rain on Tuesday didn't allow SRH to come out to bat after DC posted 133/7 while batting first in Hyderabad. Asked to bat first, Delhi had a tough time tackling Pat Cummins and Co. were half down for just 29. It was one-way traffic until Tristan Stubbs (41 not out off 36) and impact player Ashutosh Sharma (41 off 26) combined to take DC to a respectable total. They shared a 66-run stand off 45 balls.
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra didn't mince words while criticising Delhi Capitals' batting unit. He pointed out the failures of Jake Fraser-McGurk, Karun Nair, and Faf du Plessis. He also talked about KL Rahul's recent slump, which has also let the team down.
"Your batting is not firing. You lost faith in Jake Fraser-McGurk. Faf du Plessis has hardly played one or two knocks. Karun Nair has played one knock. Abishek Porel has played two-and-a-half knocks. KL Rahul has played a few knocks. However, he has gone off the boil. After that, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Tristan Stubbs and Axar Patel. You weren't supposed to play a punt on them," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Delhi have lost three of their last five matches, the last of which was abandoned due to rain. Despite a dismal batting performance, Delhi somehow managed to get a point.
"Where is your replacement for Brook?"
The former cricketer turned commentator also criticised Delhi for not picking Harry Brook's replacement despite him pulling him before the start of the tournament.
"Where is your replacement for Brook? They haven't taken one, and won't get it as well if they don't take it in the next two days. That story has ended for them," he observed.
With 13 points from 11 games, DC still remain in contention for a top-four spot and currently placed at the fifth spot.
Meanwhile, after reaching the final last year, it was a season to forget for SRH who could not replicate their ballistic run of 2024 with the bat. Having collected only seven points from 11 matches, SRH will now be playing for pride.
