Tom Moody and Wasim Jaffer questioned the decision of the Delhi Capitals to bench Prithvi Shaw and bring in Ricky Bhui.
The cricket community has already questioned the Delhi Capitals’ (DC) decision to bench Indian opener Prithvi Shaw for their opening match. After his absence from March 28th’s match against the Rajasthan Royals, former Australian cricketer Tom Moody weighed in, expressing his surprise at the team’s strategy.
“It doesn’t make sense due to the fact that you’ve got an Indian international player (Prithvi Shaw) in the dugout. Yes, he hasn’t performed in the IPL like we had all hoped he would, but you can’t score runs from the dugout.” Tom Moody told ESPNcricinfo.
Notably, Shaw boasts international experience and the potential for big scores. However, it is a fact that Shaw struggled in the 2023 IPL season, managing only 106 runs in eight innings at a concerning average of 13.25.
Nevertheless, Shaw’s absence was particularly puzzling considering the struggles of his replacement, Ricky Bhui. Bhui, who had a strong domestic season, failed to capitalise on his opportunity, registering scores of just 3 and 0 against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), respectively.
Moody also commented on Bhui’s performance gap. “That’s exactly what you’d like to see a genuine quick bowler do. What it does also is highlight the jump between Ranji Trophy runs to international cricket and IPL,” he told ESPNcricinfo.
Former Indian batter Wasim Jaffer echoed Moody’s sentiments: “Now that they have held onto him and not let him go into the auction, I’m surprised they’re not playing him. Punishing him and then losing the games is not the way to go forward.”
However, on the other hand, DC’s Cricket Director, Sourav Ganguly, addressed this decision before the match against RR, as he told the press, “Prithvi Shaw is an opener. We decided to open with Marsh and Warner. It’s a different opening combination; they opened for Australia, and they have done well together. So, we decided to do that.”
Meanwhile, DC is continuing with its two consecutive losses and is not doing very well, as it currently sits in the eighth position in the IPL points table. Rishabh Pant and Co. will next face the Chennai Super Kings on March 31st.
Last Updated on March 29, 2024
