xtratime Logo

Xtra Time Web Desk: Delhi Capitals shrugged off the disappointment of last seven years to qualify for the playoffs of the ongoing Indian Premier League at the Ferozshah Kotla on Sunday. The Capitals stopped the three match winning streak of Royal Challengers Bangalore, beating them by 16 runs. Delhi Capitals posted 187/5 batting first courtesy half centuries from opener Shikhar Dhawan (50) and skipper Shreyas Iyer (52). Chasing 188 runs to win RCB could only manage 171/7 from 20 overs. The win took the Capitals to 16 points from 12 matches, same as the Chennai Super Kings but a superior run rate places them at the top of the points table. As Delhi Capitals seals a place in the Qualifiers, let’s take a look a few points which proved to be a master stroke from the management: Trading Vijay Shankar with Shikhar Dhawan: Dhawan made an immediate impact at the top of the order. The left hander is currently the third highest run scorer in the IPL 2019 with 451 runs from 12 matches so far. He has played the perfect partner to young blood Prithvi Shaw and Risabh Pant. Experienced think tank: They may not have the best records in this format but who can take away their leadership and man management skills. With Ricky Ponting as Coach and Sourav Ganguly as mentor this season, there was certainly no dearth of ideas in the Delhi Capitals dugout. Sticking with Shreyas Iyer as Captain: A few eyebrows were raised when Shreyas Iyer was retained as the captain by the Delhi management this season. The Mumbai cricketer has been consistent with the bat scoring 383 runs from 12 matches. Rabada-Morris pace attack: They say fast bowlers hunt in pairs. The Proteas fast bowling pair of Rabada and Morris has been in super form with the young Rabada leading the wicket takers list with 25 wickets from 12 matches so far. Morris also picked 12 wickets from 8 matches. Believing in young blood: The key strategy for Delhi Capitals this season was relying on young blood. It was a process set in motion when Rahul Dravid had joined the franchise as mentor, and it is to their credit that the team management have persisted with this move even after his departure. Thus, we see the likes of Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw and Kagiso Rabada forming a key core of their playing eleven again this season.