‘Could be KL Rahul’: Former India cricketer on Delhi Capitals captain’s plans after Rishabh Pant trade

ByTech Word News

Axar Patel and KL Rahul of Delhi Capitals (PTI Photo) Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has raised several concerns about Delhi Capitals’ preparations for the upcoming IPL season following their trade for Rishabh Pant from Lucknow Super Giants. While the franchise has strengthened its batting options, Chopra believes the uncertainty over the captaincy and questions surrounding the pace bowling department could pose significant challenges.The biggest question, according to Chopra, is who will lead Delhi. With Pant and KL Rahul among the potential candidates, the franchise still seems to have a decision to make. Chopra also hinted that Axar Patel may not be interested in taking over the lead role, making Rahul a possible frontrunner.“Actually, there are many questions. It’s an MCQ because who will be the captain? Rishabh Pant was a candidate for the captaincy, KL Rahul is an option and I heard that Axar doesn’t want to be the captain. So, with everything going on, you don’t even know who will captain the side. At this stage, it could well be KL Rahul,” Chopra said.Chopra also emphasized the importance of Pant’s batting position. Having brought the wicketkeeper-batsman back via trade, Delhi must ensure he gets a top-four opportunity instead of being pushed down the order. He felt that not doing so would prevent the franchise from taking full advantage of Pant’s abilities. Chopra also believed that Lucknow could have done better from the exchange given the quality of bowlers they received in Kuldeep Yadav.“And Rishabh Pant, now that you’ve traded him, he has to bat in the top four. If you bat him lower, then you’re not going to get the most out of him. I felt LSG were better off in this trade because you couldn’t ask for more than a bowler of Kuldeep’s caliber on this pitch,” he added.While Delhi have assembled a formidable batting line-up, Chopra feels their bowling resources could be a major area of ​​concern. Uncertainty over Mitchell Starc’s availability is one factor, with the franchise potentially having to reassess its pace and bowling combinations depending on the Australian’s involvement.He also questioned the returns expected from Delhi’s more expensive fast bowling options, pointing out that Mukesh Kumar and Auqib Nabi command significant investment, while Starc comes at an even higher price. In contrast, Lungi Ngidi proved to be an excellent bargain after being acquired for Rs 2 million. Chopra also mentioned Dushmanth Chameer and Kyle Jamieson as relatively economical options.“Ashutosh, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, plus Axar Patel, and then you have Miller. So it’s a very decent set-up. The problem area for them will be their bowling department. Because Mitchell Starc, is he going to play? It’s going to be a conversation about whether he’s available to play or not. They’re going to face an issue with how fast they bowl.“Mukesh at Rs 8 crore, Auqib Nabi at Rs 8.4 crore and then you have Mitchell Starc at almost 12, so that’s a lot of money. Lungi Ngidi was cheap, auctioned at Rs 2 crore. It turned out to be a fantastic deal. Dushmantha Chameeera and Kyle didn’t have to be more expensive players.” Their pedigree and current form is still shaky and Mukesh Kumar’s T20 numbers have actually dipped a bit,” stated Chopra.