IPL 2021: Aakash Chopra picks first-choice Delhi Capitals playing 11

Delhi Capitals Playing 11: After making it to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and even finishing as the runners-up last year, the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be massive stage for the Delhi Capitals (DC) to clinch their maiden title. However, they have already suffered two major setbacks as their regular skipper Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the tournament owing to a shoulder injury while all-rounder Axar Patel has tested positive for COVID-19. With a newly appointed captain in Rishabh Pant, Delhi will start their IPL 2021 campaign against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 10 in Mumbai.

Aakash Chopra’s Delhi Capitals Playing 11

Apart from Iyer and Axar, Delhi Capitals will also miss two of their premier fast bowlers in Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada atleast for the first game as the duo will be serving their mandatory quarantine period. Recently, popular commentator and former cricketer Aakash Chopra picked his ideal playing 11 for the Delhi Capitals for the upcoming IPL season. Chopra mentioned that the duo of Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan should start as the openers with Ajinkya Rahane batting at No.3 to provide solidity in the line-up.

Rishabh Pant will bat at four with power-hitters in Marcus Stoinis and Shimron Hetmyer to follow. The former Indian cricketer stated that this looks a decent top-six for the Delhi Capitals this year.

“Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw to open. At three, I want to play Ajinkya Rahane because if Rahane is at three then you can play both Shimron Hetmyer and Marcus Stoinis. So Rahane at three, Pant at four and Hetmyer and Stoinis at No.5 and No.6. This looks like a very decent top six to me,” said Aakash Chopra on his YouTube channel.

Delhi Capitals bought an experienced Indian pacer Umesh Yadav at the IPL 2021 auction which was surely a great buy. Aakash Chopra feels one of Umesh or Ishant Sharma could partner Nortje and Rabada in the pace bowling attack. It will be a challenging task for Delhi while picking their two spinners out of Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel and Amit Mishra. However, as per Chopra’s XI, Axar’s inclusion provides the right balance to squad alongside Ashwin as the second spinner.

“There could be a few problems in the initial matches because you would have wanted Axar at No.7. If you put Ashwin at No.7, you will feel the batting is a little short. So, the first couple of games they might be struggling to find the right balance. But after that you play Ashwin and Axar, you can play Mishra also along with Ashwin. Then you have got Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada and play one out of Ishant and Umesh and your team is complete,” added Chopra.

Delhi Capitals Playing 11
Shikhar Dhawan
Prithvi Shaw
Ajinkya Rahane
Rishabh Pant (c & wk)
Marcus Stoinis
Shimron Hetmyer
Axar Patel/Amit Mishra
Ravichandran Ashwin
Kagiso Rabada
Umesh Yadav/Ishant Sharma
Anrich Nortje

With Nortje and Rabada not available for the first game against Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals could play both Chris Woakes and Tom Curran as their overseas fast bowlers while Steve Smith might also come in the frame.

Delhi Capitals Squad for IPL 2021

Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R 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, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings.

Kitbags ▶️ Delivered ?✅

Our players look ?? in our 2021 training jersey ?#YehHaiNayiDilli @StayWrogn @TajMahalMumbai pic.twitter.com/9U1TfpBqZe

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 1, 2021