And there it is the champions of the IPL 2020 Mumbai Indians to lift the trophy for the fifth time out of their five finals. The top two best teams of the tournament played against each other. Delhi Capitals have reached their first-ever IPL final since its inception while Mumbai Indians have the habit of making it to the finals. However it was not the final the people asked for a pretty much low spirited effort from the Delhi Capitals team both in their batting and bowling division.
Everything worked according to the Delhi Capitals Strategy, in this year of the IPL Campaign. It was expected by Delhi Capitals to have its maiden IPL Trophy as they have the most complete teams in the tournament. But the Delhi Capitals have to wait like Royal Challengers Bangalore to have their first-ever IPL Trophy. In the finals many things have backfired for Delhi Capitals.
Let us take a look at four reasons of Delhi Capitals loss:
Delhi Capitals Have Choked Under Pressure:
It was the same venue where Delhi Capitals while batting first against Royal Challengers Bangalore posted 196 runs with the loss of 4 wickets in the league phase match. But in the finals against Mumbai Indians they have decided to open the innings with Marcus Stoinis who went on the very first ball of the match while giving his wicket to Trent Boult getting caught behind by de Kock.
This was a complete absurd strategy from the Delhi Capitals who have been playing its first finals since 2008, you can't win the finals against a team like Mumbai Indians without having a strong top order. The situation got worse when Delhi Capitals lost 3 wickets under a score of 22 runs.
Although Shreyas Iyer and Pant put on some fight to take the scoreboard to 156 runs but that wasn't enough against the Mumbai Indians at least the 220 or 230 could've been the score people wanted to see from the young side of Delhi Capitals. If your non-regular opener has it difficult to bounce back in the finals and here they have been given tag of the “Chokers” after losing the finals.
Delhi Capitals Don't Have Quality Pinch-Hitters In Middle-Order:
T-20 Cricket revolves around pinch-hitters too much in any team. If a team is keeping the players with a healthy average in the team it doesn't assure you to win in every match. Over the years, team who have won the T-20 leagues they have enough pinch-hitters in his side who could've turn the game with his whirlwind batting in the span of few overs to destroy the opposition even after early collapse of a team.
In the match against Mumbai Indians after losing 3 wickets under the low score of 22 runs Delhi Capitals never got back into the match even after some fighting efforts were put by Shreyas Iyer and Pant. Imagine if Delhi Capitals have pinch-hitters like David Miller the result could've been different.
Delhi Capitals have some pinch-hitters like Pant, Hetymer or Stoinis but in a crucial game they have failed to produce the game-changing knock. Even the player like Alex Carey who hadn't played too many games was another reason for the Delhi Capitals in the finals.
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Delhi Capitals Have Absurd Middle-Order:
Team can't win the tournaments without having a strong middle-order to help the team from crisis situations and put them back into the contest. There is too much trust from the franchise on a player like Rahane who has been less effective in the tournament. Delhi Capitals have no option to play with Rahane as they don't have any back-up to replace him after Alex Carey hadn't played a season.
With IPL 2021 is almost around Delhi Capitals have to come with genuine pinch-hitters like Jadeja who bat and bowl to turn the things in a span of a time. Even with only all-rounder Marcus you can't expect things to be in your favour every time. It was shocking to see in the finals that a team who has a mentor like Ricky Ponting open the innings with Marcus Stoinis.
Delhi Capitals Have Weak Spin-Bowling Division:
This question obviously will now come to the front if your regular spinner like Ashwin went wicket less in the finals. Defending 157, it was expected from experienced bowler Ashwin to provide early breakthroughs to set the momentum for the victory. But that didn't happen and Mumbai Indians easily reached the target in the 19th over.
Apart from Ashwin Delhi Capitals don’t have other quality spinners like Rasid Khan and Sunil Narine to be the match winner in a low scoring match. With only quality pacers like Rabada and Nortje it's not right to rely on them every time. A balance team would be more dangerous over the hype team at the last moment. Hope Delhi Capitals will come with a better team and strategies to remove this tag of chokers in the next season of Indian Premier League.
