IPL 2021: Delhi Capitals' Indian contingent leave for the UAE for the second leg
A few Indian players from the Delhi Capitals departed for the UAE for the second phase of IPL 2021. The Delhi Capitals began their sojourn on Saturday as the team's official Instagram handle posted its story. The likes of Amit Mishra and Ajay Ratra, part of the support staff, were amongst those.
Delhi Capitals have been one of the most consistent teams in the last three editions of the IPL. The franchise made it to its first playoffs in 2019 since 2012 and since then has not looked back ever since. In 2020, the Capitals reached their maiden final; however, Mumbai Indians convincingly beat them.
Furthermore, the Capitals topped the first phase of IPL 2021 in India, finishing with five victories in seven games. The team's opening combination of Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw was one of the most instrumental reasons for their success. The first leg also saw the rise of Avesh Khan, who constantly threatened the opposition with his fast bowling.
Delhi Capitals are yet to decide on who will captain the side in the UAE:
Meanwhile, the Capitals have not decided whether Shreyas Iyer will take over as skipper or continue with Rishabh Pant. Iyer missed the initial phase in India due to a shoulder injury; however, he looks fully on track to participate in the UAE leg. In his absence, the franchise installed keeper-batsman Pant as captain.
The 23-year old has done an outstanding job at the helm, but Iyer revived the franchise's fortunes after taking charge in 2018. He also has a remarkable record with the bat, scoring 2200 runs in 79 games at 31.43. The youngster has breached the 400-run mark in four seasons out of the six he played.
As for their overseas player availability, the likes of Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Marcus Stoinis, Steve Smith, Tom Curran and Sam Billings will likely be present. But seamer Chris Woakes remains in doubt due to his injury. Nevertheless, the Delhi-based franchise has a good enough squad to go one step further this year.