Delhi Capitals has little room for slip-ups in clash against Gujarat Titans

Delhi Capitals needs to return to winning ways against Gujarat Titans to keep its chances of making to the IPL playoffs alive.
| Photo Credit: K.V.S. GIRI

Delhi Capitals may view the eight-day suspension of the IPL due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan as a bit of a double-edged sword. While some time away from the hustle and bustle may have helped Axar Patel’s men introspect on the recent run of poor results and recharge their batteries, the disturbance in the schedule has deprived their bowling attack of pace spearhead Mitchell Starc for the home stretch of the 18th edition.

Even though DC, which faces Gujarat Titans in a must-win clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium amid the threat of rain on Sunday, was prescient enough to rope in Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman as a replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk even before Starc’s absence became official, the void left by the Aussie linchpin will be hard to plug. Much to the team’s relief, the return of Tristan Stubbs and Faf du Plessis at least ensures that its batting resources aren’t compromised.

For being in a position where a single misstep could now engender calamitous consequences in its bid to stake a playoff berth, DC — fifth in the table with three league matches left — must take a stern look in the mirror. It has frittered away a splendid start, winning just two of its last seven matches.

Shubman Gill’s Titans, on the other hand, are sitting pretty with eight wins in 11 matches. If the visiting side can add to its tally of wins on Sunday, it will inch closer to sealing a top-two spot. That Jos Buttler won’t be available for the playoffs isn’t ideal, but it is a concern for a later date.