Delhi have gone from bottom-dwellers to title-challengers in the Indian T20 League in two years. Under Shreyas Iyer’s leadership, the franchise reached the playoffs in the 2019 edition after a gap of seven years and finished runners-up in UAE last season. The story is no different in Indian T20 League 2021, as they led the points table at the halfway point.
Recap of Indian T20 League 2021 first leg
With six wins in eight matches, Delhi are second in the points table. The batsmen have mastered the art of run chase after winning five of their six games batting second. They began their campaign with a seven-wicket thrashing of Chennai at Wankhede Stadium. An opening wicket stand of 138 helped them chase down 189 with eight balls to spare.
Delhi suffered defeat at the hands of Rajasthan in their second game. However, they grabbed three wins on the trot – six-wicket victories over Punjab and Mumbai and pipped Hyderabad in a super over. Bangalore clinched a thrilling one-run win to inflict Delhi a second loss. But Rishabh Pant and company bounced back quickly, thrashing Kolkata and Punjab by seven wickets.
Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw were Delhi’s standout performers in the Indian T20 League 2021 first leg. The duo combined scored close to 700 runs and their century stands helped the franchise beat Chennai and Kolkata. Right-arm pacer Avesh Khan is Delhi’s leading wicket-taker with 14 dismissals to his name. The 24-year-old, who removed Faf du Plessis and MS Dhonii for a duck, managed to pick up at least one wicket in every match so far. He also made it to India’s squad for England tour as a standby bowler.
Changes in the squad ahead of Indian T20 League 2021 second leg
In a big boost, Iyer has returned to the squad after recovering from his shoulder injury. He is a vital cog in the batting unit, which boasts some of the finest players in international cricket. Iyer will be keen to repeat his Indian T20 League 2020 exploits. The Mumbai-born batsman has scored 519 runs in 17 innings. However, the franchise has confirmed that Pant will continue as the captain for the remainder of the season.
Delhi signed Australia bowler Ben Dwarshuis in place of Chris Woakes, who withdrew from the second leg of Indian T20 League 2021. The left-arm quick, who has 85 wickets in 68 innings in BBL, had recently turned out for Worcestershire in Vitality Blast. He bagged 15 wickets in the T20 tournament, including a four-wicket haul against Yorkshire.
Players to watch out for in Indian T20 League 2021 second leg
Can Dhawan end the long wait for an Orange Cap? He is currently the joint leading run-scorer in Indian T20 League 2021 with 380 runs. The 35-year-old made four half-centuries and two centuries in UAE last season. South Africa seamer Anrich Nortje could end up as Delhi’s highest wicket-taker in the UAE leg. The pacer had picked up 22 wickets last season. Prithvi Shaw will be keen to continue his impressive run with the bat. He has hit three half-centuries at a strike rate of 166 in eight innings this season.
Expectations in Indian T20 League 2021 second leg
Two wins in their remaining six fixtures will be enough for Delhi, who open their campaign against Hyderabad in the UAE leg, to make it to the playoffs. But they will be hoping to qualify as table-toppers and play the opening qualifier. A second straight final appearance for Delhi wouldn’t come as a surprise for cricket enthusiasts. The franchise has enough quality in their squad to win their maiden title.
Top Fantasy Points scorers in Indian T20 League 2021
Shikhar Dhawan – 559 pts, Prithvi Shaw – 425 pts, Avesh Khan – 384 pts, Rishabh Pant – 358 pts, Kagiso Rabada – 270 pts, Lalit Yadav – 195 pts, Steven Smith – 195 pts, Marcus Stoinis – 173 pts, Amit Mishra – 172 pts, Axar Patel – 172 pts, Shimron Hetmyer – 149 pts
Parameswaran Sankaranarayanan
Parameswaran Sankaranarayan is a sports enthusiast who has worked in print, website, and other digital platforms. He was part of the editorial team of first-ever Indian football-based website - IndianFootball.com (now defunct) - and passionately follows the latest happenings in world football. During his time as a journalist, he had the opportunity to interact with some of the iconic personalities in Indian sports and witness some memorable moments in Indian football.
Read All Articles >
