Tom Moody slams Delhi Capitals for gifting Trent Boult to Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2020

Former Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody has slammed Delhi Capitals for trading New Zealand pace spearhead Trent Boult to Mumbai Indians. Moody has passed his comments after Boult’s sensational displays in the ongoing IPL 2020. The left-arm pacer has delivered consistently for Mumbai Indians in the tournament.

Delhi had ended their association with the pacer in November last year by letting him go to the Mumbai camp. Boult was a part of Delhi Capitals for the 2018 and 2019 seasons after being snapped up for Rs 2.2 crore. In his inaugural season for Delhi, he proved his worth by finishing the season as their highest wicket-taker, taking 18 wickets from 14 games.

But in the following season, he lost his place in the playing eleven to Kagiso Rabada. With Rabada doing extremely well, Delhi decided to trade Boult to Mumbai but the latter’s performance this season must have hurt them. Earlier this week, he blew away their top-order in the first Qualifier, helping Mumbai crush Delhi Capitals by 57 runs and enter the final.

Tom Moody critical of Delhi Capitals’ decision:

Tom Moody came up with his comment right after Mumbai’s thumping win over Delhi Capitals in the 1st Qualifier. Trent Boult had dismissed Prithvi Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane for ducks in his very first over as Delhi could only manage 143 for 8 while chasing 201. Calling the decision of trading Boult ‘an extraordinary move’, Moody stated that Delhi made a mistake in gifting the bowler to the strongest team in the tournament.

“To me that was an extraordinary move. And I know that at that point at that trade, they didn’t know that the tournament was going to move to the UAE. But even so, Trent Boult would be deadly in Mumbai because that is one venue where the ball would swing,” the former Australia cricketer told ESPNCricinfo.

“And Boult is one of the best powerplay bowlers in the IPL so to gift him to one of the strongest teams, if not the strongest team of the whole tournament, an ace like that, it’s extraordinary. If they were wanting to cash their chips in so to speak with Trent Boult, they should have just done it through the auction and let not only Mumbai but other teams fish around for Trent Boult,” he added.

Tom Moody further praised Hardik Pandya for his finishing qualities. Pandya showed his potential once again by slamming 37 off just 14 balls with the help of five sixes against Delhi Capitals, helping Mumbai Indians touch the 200-run mark.

“Finishers like him are rare, and when he’s in that type of form, you’d pick him everyday of the week because players that can put a finishing touch like he did – took the score from what we thought was going to be 170, 175 range – it’s game over. That is an impactful moment in the game, even though he was out there for only 14 balls,” Moody said.