"The problem that was there last year is going to be there this year as well" - Aakash Chopra on the Delhi Capitals' IPL 2023 squad
Aakash Chopra feels the Delhi Capitals (DC) were unable to address last season's issues with their picks at the IPL 2023 auction.
The Capitals went into the mini-auction in Kochi last Friday, December 23, with an available purse of ₹19.45 crore. They acquired five names for a total sum of ₹15 crore to complete a full-strength 25-member squad, including eight overseas players.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that the Delhi Capitals do not have a suitable player to bat at No. 6, elaborating:
"They will get stuck between Rovman Powell and Rilee Rossouw for No. 5. Even if they play one of them, the No. 6 slot will remain slightly empty. They couldn't shop for that. The problem that was there last year is going to be there this year as well."
The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player highlighted that Rishabh Pant's side lacks all-rounders, saying:
"You will see Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Vicky Ostwal or Manish Pandey at times at No. 5 or No. 6. These are not their ideal numbers. They don't have all-rounders at all; that is the problem."
The Capitals traded bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur to KKR ahead of the IPL 2023 auction. Although they got Aman Khan in return, the Mumbai all-rounder is not tried-and-tested on the big stage.
"He rarely plays and doesn't bowl even if he plays" - Aakash Chopra on the Delhi Capitals failing to get a Mitchell Marsh backup
Chopra highlighted that Mitchell Marsh's injury-related issues can compromise the Delhi Capitals' balance, explaining:
"They went searching for a like-for-like replacement for Mitchell Marsh because he is still injured. He rarely plays and doesn't bowl even if he plays. In such a case, it becomes a big problem that you are playing him, making him bat in the top three and then if he doesn't bowl, the balance gets spoilt."
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The reputed commentator acknowledged that the Capitals tried their best to acquire Cameron Green but added that they should have attempted to onboard Jason Holder, stating:
"They went after Cameron Green till 17.25 crores and Mumbai took him at 17.50 crores. They could have got Jason Holder but they didn't go after him. I am slightly surprised because too many all-rounders were not available. They could have gone a little harder."
Chopra concluded by saying that the Delhi Capitals will be extremely dependent on Marsh. He believes the franchise could have problems if the all-rounder is not at the top of his game.