Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg has heaped praise on the Delhi Capitals’ (DC) bowling unit, rating it among the top two in the entire Indian Premier League (IPL). With returning skipper Rishabh Pant having a wealth of options at his disposal, DC possesses a well-rounded bowling attack, aiming for success after two disappointing seasons.
The return of Anrich Nortje from injury and Kuldeep Yadav’s impressive form stand out as significant positives for the franchise in their bowling department. Additionally, the growth of Mukesh Yadav and Axar Patel over the past year provides a substantial boost to the team, which also boasts credible options like Khaleel Ahmed and Ishan Sharma.
Nortje has been absent from top-level cricket since sustaining an injury during the home series against Australia in September 2023. The fast bowler missed out on participating in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the home series against India due to this setback. Recently, he featured for the Warriors in the CSA T20 Challenge and is eager to make his mark in the IPL, aiming to prepare himself for the 2024 T20 World Cup with the Proteas.
“Anrich Nortje is the go-to man in any tough scenario that DC will find themselves in, he is the man they go to to get quick wickets and try to get the momentum back in their favor. I think DC’s bowling attack is up there in the top two best bowling units in the IPL,” Brad Hogg said on his YouTube channel.
On the flip side, DC’s batting has been notably inconsistent. Despite David Warner’s efforts last season, the team faced challenges with other batsmen struggling. Hogg believes that DC must prevent losing wickets in quick succession to avoid underwhelming performances in the death overs.
“DC’s weakness is their batting. They do get off to good starts in the powerplay, but they lose too many wickets and that puts too much pressure on trying to have wickets in hand for the final four to five overs, where they have been the worst-performing team over the last couple of years,” Hogg said.
In the 2023 IPL edition, the finalists from 2020 managed to score at a rate of just 8.57 runs per over in the final overs, placing them at the bottom among all franchises in this regard.
“They really needed someone to expose spin bowling in the middle overs” – Brad Hogg
Rishabh Pant has put an end to all speculation by confirming his full participation in IPL 2024, taking on the triple responsibility of batting, wicketkeeping, and captaincy. Despite not playing competitive cricket since December 2022, Pant has reportedly shown excellent form during his recovery at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
Brad Hogg also highlighted the positive impact of the left-hander’s return for the franchise. He believes that DC will gain stability in the middle order and have a player capable of taking on spin bowling to boost momentum.
“Pant coming back has added more stability in the middle overs, he is very dominant against spin bowling, and they really needed someone to expose spin bowling in the middle overs,” Hogg said.
DC are set to clash with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to commence their IPL 2024 campaign on Saturday, March 23rd.
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