"This is a weak team" - Aakash Chopra picks his Delhi Capitals XI for the first few matches of IPL 2022
Aakash Chopra has picked the likely Delhi Capitals XI for the first few matches of IPL 2022.
The Capitals will miss the services of a few of their overseas professionals at the start of IPL 2022. While Anrich Nortje is likely to miss out due to injury, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh are part of the Australian team touring Pakistan.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra picked the top six the Delhi Capitals should field. He said:
"I see Tim Seifert opening with Prithvi Shaw. I will say play Kona Bharat at No. 3, you have the option of Yash Dhull and Mandeep Singh as well, but I will say Kona. Rishabh Pant at No. 4, Rovman Powell at No. 5, Sarfaraz at No. 6. This makes it your top six. This is a weak team."
The former India cricketer highlighted that Rishabh Pant's side are slightly short in the batting department and do not have a sixth bowling option either. Chopra explained:
"You will field three keepers - Tim Siefert, Kona Bharat and Rishabh Pant - but what to do, you don't have an option. No one bowls among the top six, so you can go with only five bowlers in the first three matches. You cannot play a sixth bowler at all, this is the sad reality for the Delhi Capitals in the first three games. It is only going to change once Mitchell Marsh comes. Your batting is also weak for the first three matches, forget about the bowling's balance."
Rovman Powell can perform the sixth bowler's role for the Delhi Capitals if required. The big-hitting Jamaican has rolled his arm over for the West Indies in international cricket on a few occasions.
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"Shardul Thakur hasn't played cricket for a long time" - Aakash Chopra picks the Delhi Capitals' bowling lineup
While picking Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur as his two bowling all-rounders, Aakash Chopra pointed out that the latter might be short of match practice. He elaborated:
"After that, you will see Axar and Shardul at No. 7 and No. 8. Both are all-rounders, Shardul four overs - remains to be seen, he hasn't played cricket for a long time, he took a break for the entire Sri Lanka series."
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The reputed commentator added that Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi and Mustafizur Rahman as specialist bowlers do not lend too much potency to the attack. Chopra stated:
"After that, you will play Kuldeep Yadav. If you don't play Kuldeep, you will play Pravin Dubey or Lalit Yadav but they are not your wicket-taking options. You used to have a lot of wicket-taking options. Your bowling was outstanding which is no longer the case. You can play both Fizz (Mustafizur) and Ngidi to make it four overseas. You can also play one out of Khaleel or Sakariya."
Aakash Chopra's Delhi Capitals playing XI for the first few matches of IPL 2022: Prithvi Shaw, Tim Seifert, KS Bharat, Rishabh Pant, Rovman Powell, Sarfaraz Khan, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, Mustafizur Rahman