IPL 2021: "It looks like a desperate decision to restore the balance" - Gautam Gambhir on DC's decision to bring back Marcus Stoinis
Former India opener Gautam Gambhir is not fully on board with the Delhi Capitals' decision to bring Marcus Stoinis back into the playing XI for their Qualifier 2 clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The Australian all-rounder was deemed fit for the match after recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered early into the UAE leg last month.
Oh, how we've missed you, @MStoinis 💙
#YehHaiNayiDilli #IPL2021 #KKRvDC #Qualifier2 https://t.co/v5Sf9LQ9Ic
The Delhi Capitals introduced a solitary change from their loss against the Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1 of the playoffs. The franchise opted to bench Tom Curran to bring Marcus Stoinis back in.
The all-rounder's absence has been cited as a huge reason behind DC's lack of balance, with the likes of Lalit Yadav and Ripal Patel failing to provide a similar impact.
STOIN AT THE CREASE!
#YehHaiNayiDilli | #IPL2021 | #KKRvDC | #Qualifier2 https://t.co/yPN7KQUJBC
Gambhir noted that on a slow surface like Sharjah, Smith would have provided stability. He also feels that his bowling services won't come into play with the side already featuring five frontline bowlers. While speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Gambhir said:
"I would have still gone with Steve Smith. I don't know how much bowling Stoinis will give you because they have five quality bowlers. This looks like a bit like a desperate decision where they have to bring in Stoinis, just to get the balance right. Getting straight into this, on this kind of a wicket and with this bowling attack will be a huge task."
DC will be looking to make it to their second straight final. However, they face an uphill task against a KKR outfit versed in playing on slow surfaces like Sharjah.
Including Stoinis is a nice idea, it looks great on paper: Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar also agreed with Gambhir's opinion and feels that the idea of including Stoinis feels good on paper. He noted that the proposition of playing both Smith and Stoinis would have been difficult as they would have had to drop one more overseas player apart from Tom Curran. Manjrekar said:
"Including Stoinis is a nice idea, it looks great on paper because you're thinking of a Stoinis from a few weeks back and this is a tough pitch. I think KKR did the right thing by retaining the same team. They were not going to play Russell even if he was fit."
DC have crawled to 135-5 in their 20 overs on a very sluggish surface in Sharjah. Stoinis came into bat at No. 3 and scored 18 off 23 balls before being bowled by Shivam Mavi.