After securing an impressive 1-0 win in the three-match unofficial Test series, India A will host New Zealand A in a three-match unofficial ODI series starting on Thursday, September 22.

India’s wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson has been appointed the captain of the 16-man ODI squad. The Kerala-born cricketer earlier failed to make the cut for India’s senior squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 scheduled to be held in Australia in October-November. 

India internationals Prithvi Shaw and Ruturaj Gaikwad are some of the big names included in the batting department. Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur, Umran Malik and Kuldeep Yadav are added to bolster the bowling attack.

India’s 2022 U-19 World Cup star Raj Angad Bawa has received his maiden India-A call-up following his impressive showing in the marquee youth tournament. Raj Angad Bawa amassed 252 runs and claimed nine wickets in five matches in the recent U-19 World Cup.

Meanwhile, New Zealand A will be led by Tom Bruce. The visitors will look to bounce back after suffering a 0-1 defeat in the three-match unofficial Test series against the Priyank Panchal-led hosts.

All eyes will once again be on New Zealand’s Joe Carter, who was the leading run-scorer in the unofficial Test series. Carter amassed 347 runs in three matches at an average of 69.40. New Zealand international Rachin Ravindra has been the wrecker-in-chief for the Kiwis, picking seven wickets in three matches.

The three-match unofficial ODI series will be played at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

India A vs New Zealand A 2022 ODI squads

India A: Sanju Samson (captain/wicket-keeper), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Prithvi Shaw, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi, Rajat Patidar, Kuldeep Yadav, Shabhaz Ahmed, Rahul Chahar, Tilak Varma, Kuldeep Sen, Shardul Thakur, Umran Malik, Navdeep Saini, Raj Angad Bawa

New Zealand A: Tom Bruce (captain), Robbie O’Donnell, Joe Carter, Chad Bowes, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Dane Cleaver (wicket-keeper), Matt Fisher, Cameron Fletcher (wicket-keeper), Ben Lister, Michael Rippon, Rachin Ravindra, Sean Solia, Joe Walker, Logan van Beek

India A vs New Zealand A 2022 schedule and live match times

All times are in India Standard Time (IST)

Day and Date	Match	Time (IST)	Venue
Thursday, September 22	India A vs New Zealand, 1st unofficial ODI	10:00 AM IST	MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Sunday, September 25	India A vs New Zealand, 2nd unofficial ODI	10:00 AM IST	MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Tuesday, September 27	India A vs New Zealand, 2nd unofficial ODI	10:00 AM IST	MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

Where to watch India A vs New Zealand 2022 ODI series live in India?  

The India A vs New Zealand A 2022 unofficial ODI series will be telecast live on Star Sports Network’s TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the India A vs New Zealand A 2022 unofficial ODI series will be available on Disney+ Hotstar app and website. 

Interested in cricket betting? Click here to check out the list of top sites.

Featured photo: CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday announced that the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22 will start on December 1 and conclude on December 29.

According to the previous itinerary, the Vijay Hazare Trophy was scheduled to be played between February 23 and March 26. However, the BCCI has decided to complete the white-ball competitions including Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy in order to give more time to the 38 participating teams to prepare for red-ball cricket.

"The BCCI is working very closely with the government of India, state regulatory authorities, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that our sport achieves a collaborative solution. With this, there is a combined objective for a complete BCCI domestic cricket season 2021-22 to be played, enabling us to maintain the integrity of each competition,�?BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a letter to state bodies.

“The restart date for BCCI domestic cricket season 2021-22 has been reviewed with all stakeholders, as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic develops and we work together through this very challenging time. The BCCI will proceed with the full season of domestic cricket starting with Under-19 tournaments (both categories) in September 2021,�?he added.

As per the domestic cricket calendar released by BCCI on July 3, the Indian limited-overs domestic competition will have a total of 169 matches in the upcoming season. 

Just like the Ranji Trophy, the Vijay Hazare Trophy will have 38 teams being divided into three Elite Groups - A, B and C and one Plate Group. Group A and B will have nine teams each while Group C and Plate Group will feature 10 teams each.

The Indian cricket board has also announced that the Ranji Trophy will return to the domestic calendar after the 2019-20 season was cancelled owing to the rising COVID-19 cases in the country.

A whopping 2,127 domestic games will be played in the 2021-22 season which includes various age groups and women's tournaments. The Indian domestic season will start with the Senior Women's One Day League on September 21. The calendar also includes Senior Women's One Day Challenger Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Meanwhile, the BCCI has decided to scrap the Irani Cup, Duleep Trophy and the Deodhar Trophy for the upcoming season.

What happened in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2020-21?

The Prithvi Shaw-led Mumbai lifted the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2020-21 by beating Uttar Pradesh by six wickets in the final at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. With this title, Mumbai have won the Vijay Hazare Trophy four times equalling the record of Karnataka. Interestingly, Tamil Nadu is the most successful team in the competition having won the title on five occasions.

Featured photo: Twitter/MumbaiCricketAssociation

Indian cricket team opener Shubman Gill, who recently suffered a shin injury while training for the upcoming England Test series in the United Kingdom (UK), is likely to be out of action for six to eight weeks. The 21-year-old right-handed batsman is also reportedly set to fly back home. 

If the latest reports in the TOI are to be believed, the Indian management is keen on replacing Gill with the in-form Mumbai opener Prithvi Shaw. It is also to be noted that the Indian Test squad already has the services of openers Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran who can partner Rohit Sharma at the top. 

If reports of the team management being keen on bringing over Prithvi Shaw to the Test squad in England is true, it could be very disheartening for Abhimanyu Easwaran. Good enough to be in the reserves but not good enough to be third opener? I think he is.

�?Shashank Kishore (@captainshanky) July 3, 2021

Meanwhile, Prithvi Shaw is currently in Sri Lanka preparing for the upcoming ODI and T20I series. 

Snapshots from #TeamIndia's first training session in Sri Lanka #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/hzBx8DNye2

�?BCCI (@BCCI) July 2, 2021

It is also understood that Ravi Shastri-led think tank has officially submitted a formal request to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to fly the Mumbai cricketer from Sri Lanka to England at the earliest. 

After scoring a century on his debut Test match against the West Indies in October 2018, Shaw found red-ball cricket challenging during the unsuccessful tour of New Zealand and Australia in 2020. The 21-year-old could only manage 102 runs in six innings in his stint Down Under, which eventually led to the youngster’s axing from the Test side. 

However, the opener responded strongly by smashing 800-plus runs in the 2021 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Later, Shaw also showed glimpses of his talent in the the first half of the Indian T20 League earlier in the year. 

Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the strict quarantine rules, the BCCI will need to make a quick decision on whether or not to send Shaw over to England as a replacement opener for Gill. 

Till now, Shaw has represented India in five Tests and has scored 339 runs at an average of 42.37. 

Featured photo: Marty MELVILLE / AFP

 

Mayank Agarwal’s unbeaten 99 for Punjab against Delhi in Ahmedabad on Sunday was only the seventh instance of a batsman missing a century by just one run in the Indian T20 League. While some remained not out, others succumbed to the pressure. Here’s a look at the previous six 99s.

Suresh Raina 99*(52), Chennai vs Hyderabad, 2013

Hyderabad chose to bowl first at their home ground and watched Suresh Raina and Michael Hussey put on a massive 133 for the second wicket in just 12 overs. Raina was at the peak of his powers at that time; he cracked 11 fours and three sixes as he soared to an unbeaten 99 from just 52 balls. Ishant Sharma disappeared for 66 runs from four overs and Chennai surged to 223/3. A stunned Hyderabad managed a mere 146/8 in response.

Virat Kohli 99 (58), Bangalore vs Delhi, 2013

Two days after Raina’s onslaught, Bangalore’s Virat Kohli was run out for 99 off 58 against Delhi at the erstwhile Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium. The captain hit the last ball of the Bangalore innings to sweeper cover but could not complete an improbable second run that would have taken him to his century.

Delhi came mighty close to overhauling Bangalore’s 183/4, falling short by just four runs, and Irfan Pathan ending on 23 from just 11.

Prithvi Shaw 99 (55), Delhi vs Kolkata, 2019

It took six years for the next 99 to come in the Indian T20 League, and it came in Delhi again. Prithvi Shaw hammered 12 fours and three sixes from just 55 balls but could not take Delhi home as he fell in the 19th over of the chase. 

Delhi ended up squandering a strong position thereafter to end level with Kolkata on 185. Thankfully, Shaw’s effort was not to be in vain as his team came through victorious in the Super Over.

Chris Gayle 99* (64), Punjab vs Bangalore, 2019

This was the first 99 in the IPL that came in a losing cause. Chris Gayle belted ten fours and five sixes in 64 balls against his former franchise Bangalore as Punjab posted 173/4. He had little support from the rest of the line-up though. 

Bangalore were to hunt down the target with four balls to spare for the loss of only Parthiv Patel and Kohli as AB de Villiers and Marcus Stoinis hauled them home with a quick partnership.

Ishan Kishan 99 (58), Mumbai vs Bangalore, IPL 2020

Mumbai were in trouble at 78/4 in pursuit of Bangalore’s 201/3 when Kieron Pollard walked in. Ishan Kishan, who had been struggling until then, suddenly started mowing sixes over deep midwicket. He hit nine of them but fell off the penultimate ball of the chase trying to win the match with another six. Pollard hit a four off the last ball to take it to a Super Over. Kishan was too exhausted to come out to bat again and Mumbai went on to lose.

Chris Gayle 99 (63), KXIP v RR, IPL 2020

The ‘Universe Boss�?holds numerous T20 batting records, and remains the only man to have scored two 99s in the Indian T20 League. Eight sixes and six fours rained off Gayle’s blade to catapult Punjab to 185/4. And for the second time, the great man was to end on the losing side as Rajasthan made a mockery of the chase. Ben Stokes and Sanju Samson led a commanding batting performance to hand a seven-wicket loss to Gayle’s team in only 17.3 overs.

Featured photo: AFP / Sajjad Hussain

Rishabh Pant’s Team Delhi produced yet another scintillating display in the 2021 Indian T20 League on Sunday, May 2, when they defeated a hapless KL Rahul-less Punjab side by seven wickets to go atop the points table. It was the same old story with Delhi making a fantastic start with the bat - with Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan setting the groove - before a comfortable victory followed.

The two openers have been in scintillating form this season, scoring a total of 688 runs in eight innings between them. While chasing 167 against Punjab on Sunday, both Shaw and Dhawan got off to a brilliant start by accumulating 63 runs in the powerplay overs itself. This was the third-best powerplay score in this year’s Indian T20 League. Out of the top five powerplay scores, four have come from Delhi.

Highest powerplay scores in 2021 Indian T20 League:

• 67/0 - Delhi vs Kolkata
• 65/0 - Delhi vs Chennai
• 65/2 - Bangalore vs Chennai
• 63/0 - Delhi vs Punjab
• 62/1 - Delhi vs Punjab

Furthermore, if we compare Delhi’s performance in the opening six overs against the rest of the teams, they are ahead by a significant margin. In eight innings so far this season, the last year’s finalists have scored a total of 426 runs in the powerplay overs and this has come at an average of 53.25. None of the other seven teams has averaged 50 in the powerplay overs this season.

Hyderabad sit second in the list with 344 powerplay runs with an average of 49.14 in seven innings, while Team Punjab acquire the last spot after having scored 333 runs at just 41.63.

Average score of every Indian T20 League team in powerplay overs
Team	Innings	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Average
Delhi	8	48	426	7	53.25
Hyderabad	7	42	344	5	49.14
Bangalore	7	42	334	10	47.71
Mumbai	7	42	319	4	45.57
Chennai	7	42	315	6	45.00
Kolkata	7	42	309	12	44.14
Rajasthan	7	42	301	13	43.00
Punjab	8	48	333	9	41.63

The left-right combination of Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw has been a difficult coalition to break this season. The two have combined for six half-centuries this season, scoring three each. Dhawan, in particular, has been the most dangerous of the duo. He might have hit runs at a slower strike rate in the past few games, but that’s mainly because the two openers have developed a great relationship.

As observed by many, Shaw has shouldered the responsibility of going big, while Dhawan, at least in the initial stages, rotates strike and take on easy targets. Thus, it comes as no surprise that Shaw’s strike rate (166.48) is much higher than Dhawan (134.27).

Featured photo: Twitter / IPL

Prithvi Shaw became the second batsman in Indian T20 League history to hit six boundaries in his opening over onslaught against Kolkata on Thursday.

Shaw’s exploits in the opening over of the game made him the first batsman to hit six fours in the first over of a T20 innings.

Prithvi Shaw emulated fellow Mumbai batsman and current team-mate Ajinkya Rahane, who is the first player to hit six boundaries in an over in T20 cricket. Rahane achieved the feat against Bangalore in the Indian T20 League in 2012 when he played for Rajasthan.

With this performance, Prithvi added another feather to his cap after recently becoming the second-youngest to 1,000 runs in the Indian T20 League.

“When I think I'm in good touch and I don't think about the score anymore,�?Shaw said after the match. “When I'm batting, I don't care about myself, I just want my team to win.�?/span>

Prithvi Shaw followed his opening over blitz by completing his ninth half-century in the Indian T20 League in 18 balls. This was the joint-second fastest fifty for any Delhi batsman in the tournament, since Rishabh Pant’s feat against Mumbai in 2019.

Who has hit 6 fours in an over?

Prithvi Shaw is now the seventh cricketer, across all formats, to hit six boundaries in an over. Former India batsman Sandeep Patil is the first player to have scored six boundaries in an over.

Cricketers who hit six boundaries in an over (all formats)
Player	Opponent	Year
Sandeep Patil	England	1982
Chris Gayle	England	2004
Ramnaresh Sarwan	India	2006
Sanath Jayasuriya	England	2007
Ajinkya Rahane	Bangalore	2012
Tillakaratne Dilshan	Australia	2015
Prithvi Shaw	Kolkata	2021

Furthermore, Shaw’s 18-ball fifty is the fastest in Indian T20 League 2021, surpassing Deepak Hooda’s 20-ball half-century against Rajasthan.

Featured photo: Twitter / Delhi Capitals

By hitting Mohammed Siraj for a boundary in the game against Virat Kohli’s upbeat Bangalore, Delhi opening batsman Prithvi Shaw became the second-youngest player to aggregate 1,000 runs in the Indian T20 League on Tuesday, April 27. This is only the latest of the landmarks in the right hander’s cricket career which has been rather rocky from the past year.

Youngest players to score 1,000 runs in Indian T20 League
Player	Team	Runs	Age	Match Runs
Rishabh Pant	Delhi	1085	20y, 218d	128
Prithvi Shaw	Delhi	1013	21y, 169d	21
Sanju Samson	Delhi	1004	21y, 183d	34
Shubman Gill	Kolkata	1008	21y, 222d	21
Ishan Kishan	Mumbai	1018	22y, 102d	25

Prithvi Shaw, one of the latest graduates from the Mumbai school of batting, started his record-breaking journey at 14. Four days after Sachin Tendulkar retired from international cricket in 2013, Shaw racked up a record 546 runs off 330 balls in a Harris Shield match.

In doing so, Prithvi Shaw registered the highest score by an Indian batsman in minor cricket, later bettered by Pranav Dhanawade, who smashed 1,009 runs against Arya Gurukul. Dhanawade’s inning continues to remain a world-record in school cricket.

Moving forward, Prithvi Shaw would score centuries on his Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy debuts. At 17 years and 57 days, Shaw was the second-youngest to hit a ton on Ranji debut - after Sachin Tendulkar in 1988/99 - and later became the youngest to score a fifty in a Ranji Trophy final.

Prithvi Shaw continued breaking records in the 2017 Duleep Trophy, by becoming the youngest to score a fifty and a century in a Duleep Trophy final.

Shaw’s arrival in the Indian T20 League

In the 2018 edition of the Indian T20 League, Prithvi Shaw became the youngest player to open the batting at 18 years and 165 days. His showing on debut was short but explosive, with 22 runs off 10 balls against Kings XI Punjab.

Four days later, Shaw would score his first fifty for Delhi in the Indian T20 League match against Kolkata and effectively become the joint-youngest player to register a 50-plus score after Sanju Samson (18 years and 169 days).

Who is the youngest Indian Test centurion on debut?

In October 2018, Prithvi Shaw saw his long-awaited dream of a senior debut fulfilled. And, he paid back the trust with a confident 134 against West Indies. Thus, at 17 years and 107 days, the Mumbai player rewrote the history books as the youngest Indian Test centurion on debut, the second-youngest Test centurion for India after Sachin Tendulkar, and the fourth-youngest Test debut to cross the three-digit mark on debut.

Prithvi Shaw became the first-ever cricketer to register a century on his Ranji, Duleep Trophy, and Test debuts.

A drop in performance levels

Between 2019 and early 2021, Prithvi Shaw’s career took a downward spiral. First, he served suspension for a doping violation and would later be dropped for the remainder of the 2020 tour of Australia due to technical difficulties while batting.

This year, Shaw became the first player to score 800 runs in a single edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. However, this wasn’t enough in his efforts to secure a return to the senior Team India squad for the ODI series against England.

Who is the youngest player to score 1,000 runs in the Indian T20 League?

Delhi captain Rishabh Pant is the youngest player to score 1,000 runs in the Indian T20 League, achieving the feat at 20 years and 218 days in the 2018 edition.

Prithvi Shaw, who required just eight runs to cross the 1000-run mark in the T20 extravaganza, made a confident start to the campaign with a 38-ball 72 against Chennai but endured a scratchy run in the next three games. In the last game, which had the first Super Over of the 2021 season, the 21-year-old hit a 39-ball 53 to see his team post a first innings score of 159/4.

Featured photo: AFP / Sajjad Hussain

Team Delhi made a blistering start to their 2021 Indian T20 League season under their new captain Rishabh Pant, beating MS Dhoni-led Team Chennai by seven wickets at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, April 10.

This victory was Delhi’s third win on the trot over the three-time champions after having defeated them twice in last year’s competition in UAE. 

On a pitch known as a batting paradise, Delhi decided to go for the chase and had a perfect start. The likes of Chris Woakes and Avesh Khan combined to reduce Chennai to 7/2, but Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu then steadied the ship.

Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran played their cameo as Chennai posted 188/7 on board. While it was thought to be a difficult run chase, both Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan made the target looked easy, forging a 138-run stand in just 13 overs. Rishabh Pant and Marcus Stoinis did the rest as Delhi cruised to a rather easy win.

Delhi batsmen made the target looked so elementary, and we look at some of the stats that took the center stage on the night.

Dhawan and Shaw leading the charge

It goes without saying that both Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw love batting against Chennai. A 54-ball 85 on the night took Dhawan’s run tally against Chennai to 862, which includes as many as eight fifty-plus scores (1x100, 7x50), and this is now the joint-most fifty-plus scores by any batsman against Chennai. Shaw, on the other hand, scored 72 off just 38 balls and a whopping 75% of those runs came through boundaries. Not to forget that their partnership of 138 runs is the third-best partnership against Chennai in the competition.

Top-5 opening wicket stands vs Chennai in Indian T20 League
Partners	Runs	Team	Venue	Date
A. Rahane, S. Watson	144	Rajasthan	Ahmedabad	19 April 2015
G. Smith, S. Asnodkar	127	Rajasthan	Chennai	24 May 2008
P Shaw, S. Dhawan	138	Delhi	Mumbai	10 April 2021
Q. de Kock, I. Kishan	116*	Mumbai	Sharjah	23 October 2020
D. Warner, S. Dhawan	116	Hyderabad	Ranchi	22 May 2014

It was Shaw’s eighth fifty in the Indian T20 League and second against Chennai. Note that both of his half-centuries against MS Dhoni’s side have come on the trot.

Furthermore, Dhawan’s Man of the Match knock also helped him surpass David Warner in the list of most runs in the Indian T20 League. The southpaw now has 5282 runs in the competition to his name. 

Delhi’s dominance over Chennai

Before the teams had met in UAE last year, Chennai had won all of their last three meetings against Delhi. The tables, however, turned, as Delhi completed a double over Chennai last year and a victory at Wankhede further outlined their dominance over Dhoni’s side. Here are the results of the three meetings between the teams:

Match #7 at Dubai- Delhi won by 44 runs.

Match #34 at Sharjah- Delhi won by 5 wickets.

Match #2 at Mumbai -Delhi won by 7 wickets

Yesterday’s run chase was the second instance where Delhi chased down a target of 180-plus runs. It is also their highest successful chase against Chennai in terms of target. As far as wickets are concerned, it was their third-largest win over Chennai in terms of wickets.

Raina making a statement

Suresh Raina returned to the Indian T20 League fold after almost two years, and he announced his arrival with a 36-ball 54. It was Raina’s 39th half-century in the competition. 

Raina's run distribution vs Delhi
Spin vs Pace	Runs	Balls	Dots	4s	6s	Strike Rate	Dot %	Run %
Pace	17	16	7	1	1	106.25	43.75%	31.48%
Spin	37	20	6	2	3	185.00	30%	68.51%

An experienced cricketer in the shortest format, Raina is always aware of his strength and thus it does not come as a surprise that he decided to go after spinners. 37 of his 54 runs were scored against spinners and he hit them at a strike rate of 185.00. The southpaw played a 63-run partnership with Ambati Rayudu for the fourth wicket and a whopping 55.56% runs (35/63) were scored by him.

He is now the fourth-highest run-scorer against Delhi in the competition.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IPL

Team Delhi head coach Ricky Ponting has revealed that young India opener Prithvi Shaw refused to bat in the nets when he was going through a lean patch during the 2020 edition of the Indian T20 League.

The former Australia cricket team captain, who has been working with the 21-year-old for the past two seasons in the Delhi camp, stated that Shaw’s training methods baffled him and that he reckoned it stopped him from realising his massive potential.

"I've had some really interesting chats with him through last year's Indian T20 League, just trying to break him down, trying to find out exactly what was the right way to coach him and how I was going to get the best out of him," Ponting said in an interview to cricket.com.au. 

“But he had an interesting theory on his batting last year �?when he's not scoring runs, he won't bat, and when he is scoring runs, he wants to keep batting all the time.

“He had four or five games where he made under 10 and I'm telling him, ‘We have to go to the nets and work out (what's wrong)�? and he looked me in the eye and said, ‘No, I’m not batting today�? I couldn’t really work that out.�?/span>

Exclusive: @DelhiCapitals head coach Ricky Ponting hopes to unlock the "superstar" potential of Indian young gun Prithvi Shaw, but hopes some of his training theories have changed ahead of #IPL2021 | @LouisDBCameron http://t.co/QC6qWR793B pic.twitter.com/hyc4v47gC2

�?cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) April 5, 2021

Prithvi Shaw had struggled for runs in the last edition of the Indian T20 League, amassing just 228 runs in 13 matches at an average of 17.53, registering just two fifties in the tournament.

After being dropped from the Indian cricket team following a poor run of form in the Tests against Australia Down Under, the Bihar-born cricketer has made a strong case for a comeback after he became the first player to score more than 800 runs in a single edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. 

Shaw tallied 827 runs in eight matches at a staggering average of 165.40, smashing four centuries this season, including an unbeaten 227 against Puducherry in the group stages which made him only the eighth Indian to score a double century in senior 50-over cricket. 

“He might have changed. I know he’s done a lot of work over the last few months, that theory that he had might have changed, and hopefully, it has, because if we can get the best out of him, he could be a superstar player,�?Ponting added.

Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant-led Team Delhi will take on MS Dhoni’s Team Chennai in their opening encounter of the Indian T20 League 2021 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 10.

Feature image courtesy: AFP/Noah Seelam

After years of hits and misses, Team Delhi reached their maiden finals of the Indian T20 League in the 2020 edition but finished as the second-best. This was seen as a sign of rejuvenation for a team that often stalled when a winning opportunity knocked on the door.

With Rishabh Pant taking over as Delhi captain in place of the injured Shreyas Iyer, onlookers are curious if the franchise can indeed end their title drought this year. However, considering their performances last term - where they lost just two league games in the first nine before winning one in the last five, consistency is something the 23-year-old will demand from his team-mates.

Delhi kick off their Indian T20 League 2021 season against Chennai at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, April 10, and upon closer look of their squad depth, it is safe to say the franchise can possibly go the distance in the latest edition.

Team Delhi squad

Shreyas Iyer’s absence is a massive blow to Delhi’s batting strategy in the Indian T20 League but the team can somehow fill the void with some powerful knocks from Steve Smith - acquired for a meagre fee of Rs 2.20 crores.

The 2020 finalists retained 19 players and released six players - which included the likes of Alex Carey, Keemo Paul and Jason Roy - ahead of the February auctions.

 

• Are Team Mumbai equipped to win their sixth Indian T20 League title?

 

With a purse of Rs 13.40 crores, Delhi weren’t expected to do much business but by adding Smith, Sam Billings (Rs 2 crores) and Umesh Yadav (Rs 1 crore), the team bolstered their options in the batting and pace bowling sector.

England all-rounder Tom Curran was the most expensive buy at Rs 5.25 crore and much will be expected from him in a pace line-up that consists of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Ishant Sharma, besides the 33-year-old Yadav.

Team Delhi squad for Indian T20 League 2021: Shreyas Iyer (ruled out), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (captain and wicket-keeper), Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman Meriwala, Manimaran Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings

Team Delhi strength and weakness

Strengths:

Delhi is one of the few teams whose batting line-up is quite intimidating, and their performances in the 2020 season showcased their intent to challenge for the title. The likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Rishabh Pant will be charged with laying the foundations for match-winning totals.

 

• Can Rajasthan finally find a good balance in Indian T20 League 2021 season?

 

Prithvi Shaw, who had a forgettable campaign with Delhi last term, warmed up for the upcoming season with 800-plus runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and will look to prove his detractors wrong.

In Marcus Stoinis, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel, Delhi have some quality all-rounders who can chip in runs and also take wickets to place the tide of an Indian T20 League in their favour.

The middle-order batters had smashed 1290 runs last season, the most by batsmen in the #4 - #7 slot and the addition of Sam Billings should give an exciting injection to Delhi.

Weakness:

The presence of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Ishant Sharma already made Delhi’s bowling attack something for opposition to fear. But, it is their tendency to leak runs in crucial periods - such as the death overs - which could ultimately cost them a win. They have conceded 595 runs in the powerplay overs - third-most by any team. Pant must devise an effective plan around his bowlers and see that his strengths in the batting and bowling departments are equally balanced.

• Three things Delhi should do to win their maiden title

 

 

For Rishabh Pant, there isn’t a recognised wicket-keeper back-up for him in the Delhi team. Considering the new captain will have new responsibilities to shoulder, and fatigue likely to take a toll on him, the Ricky Ponting-coached team will have to shift their team dynamics should they give the keeping duties to Sam Billings.

Who can be the highest run-scorer for Team Delhi?

Rishabh Pant has had an enjoyable 2021 so far, with a string of match-winning performances in the recent series against England convincing the management to hand him the reigns of the Delhi captaincy. The 23-year-old has stacked 2079 runs in just 68 games at an average and strike rate of 35.23 and 151.97 respectively, a sign that he is prepared to anchor Delhi’s charge for a maiden Indian T20 League crown.

Who can be the highest wicket-taker for Team Delhi?

Looking up at Delhi’s bowling options, one can simply say the Kagiso Rabada will be the champion bowler for the team in the 2021 edition. However, those who have followed the league closely, Amit Mishra will be the leading contender to play a key role in the upcoming campaign. The 38-year-old, with 160 wickets in the T20 extravaganza, featured in three games last term before a finger injury ended his campaign. Mishra is on the cusp of two major milestones - 11 wickets to become the highest wicket-taker in the Indian T20 League and five matches to become the first Delhi player with 100 appearances in the cash-rich league.

Where will Team Delhi finish in Indian T20 League 2021?

Delhi’s current team roster is an indication that they could make it into the playoffs round at the very least, and the presence of experienced figures in Dhawan, Ashwin, Smith and Rahane will be influential to their cause. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to perfect execution of their strengths and that is something Rishabh Pant will need to work in tandem with head coach Ricky Ponting.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Sajjad Hussain