Aakash Chopra picks five players Delhi Capitals should retain ahead of IPL 2021

There are speculations that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to introduce a new team in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Thus most probably a mega auction is on cards for IPL 2021. Former Indian opening batsman Aakash Chopra revealed the five players the runners-up Delhi Capitals should retain if there is a mega auction.

In a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra hailed Delhi for wisely choosing the players on the auction table and making a strong team for the just-concluded IPL 2020. The veteran feels that mega-auction won’t be good for Delhi as they have a competent and experienced squad.

“The Delhi Capitals’ success shows that the acquisition of good players is half the job done. Here the story is that everything is good and if you break anything it will be wrong only, it cannot be good,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“But that’s the story of this team, it was a young team three years ago but is now an experienced team after three years. When you shake up an experienced team, somewhere or the other the things will become less,” he added.

Speaking about the players DC should retain, Chopra opined that since the franchise doesn’t have a good uncapped option, they will have to retain 3 Indian and 2 overseas players. He reckoned that Capitals should retain opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan, captain Shreyas Iyer, and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant. While Dhawan and Iyer had a fanatic season with the willow, Rishabh wasn’t at his fluent best and failed to make a mark.

“If they have to retain 5 players, 3 Indians and 2 overseas, they don’t have an uncapped player whom they will think of retaining. I would say, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant as the three Indians although Rishabh Pant did not have a good year but I will definitely retain him and I am pretty sure that the Delhi Capitals will also do that.”

Aakash Chopra picks Marcus Stoinis and Kagiso Rabada as two overseas options

For two overseas slots, Aakash picked all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and seamer Kagiso Rabada. The South African pacer has been a vital cog in Delhi’s success in recent years while Stoinis showed a great character with both bat and ball in IPL 2020. Though the former cricketer was a little confused between Stoinis and pacer Anrich Nortje, he feels that DC can try to add Nortje into their squad in the auction via RTM.