IPL 2020: Delhi Capitals looking to bolster their middle-order in the auction

The 2020 Indian Premier League Auction is finally here. In a few hours from now, the destiny and the immediate future of a lot of players going under the hammer will be decided when the marquee affair takes place in Kolkata. This is, of-course- a mini-auction where the franchises will just be looking to plug their holes before they all start from scratch in next year’s mega auction.

One of the most improved teams’ of the past season, the Delhi Capitals finished in the top-4 in the last edition. Capitals’ strength is their strong Indian core- whether it is batting or spin-bowling- with the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer, Amit Mishra, and the newly traded Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin. What the Capitals will be looking for is to find able candidates in the middle-order as well as fast bowling backup to Kagiso Rabada.

“This year is not for investment. With the mega auction scheduled for next year, it’s difficult to bring in a rookie and groom him over a period of time. The idea is to have more experienced players. Anyway, there are very few noteworthy young uncapped players on the list and the U-19 World Cup has not been played yet,” a source close to the Delhi Capitals team-management told The Times of India.

Delhi Capitals’ CEO explains the reason behind opting for Ajinkya Rahane

One of the primary reasons why Delhi Capitals faltered when it really mattered was the lack of an in-form all-rounder. Chris Morris had an underwhelming season and was duly replaced and the franchise owners will be looking for an ideal replacement like Colin de Grandhomme or Glenn Maxwell.

“Allrounders will definitely be in demand for all teams. That’s the nature of the format. But with so many Indians thronging the batting line-up, it would be good if a seasoned overseas batsman can come in.”

The Capitals’ CEO Dhiraj Malhotra also explained the reasoning behind trading for former Rajasthan Royals captain Ajinkya Rahane. According to Malhotra, Rahane has traded into the Delhi Capitals’ set-up in order to use his experience in the middle-order, a place where they have perennially struggled.

“The plan is to keep the core same, as we have quite a few young guns in Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and now we have Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan. We were the youngest team in the competition last year and we would like to continue and grow, just like, say, a CSK or an MI,” Malhotra had said.

Here’s what DC head coach Ricky Ponting tweeted

Really excited for the #IPLAuction tonight. We'll look at two batters, potentially an all rounder and two fast bowlers. We've got a strong contingent of Indian players already so our main goal is to get the best players available. @DelhiCapitals

— Ricky Ponting AO (@RickyPonting) December 19, 2019

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