With Ricky Ponting as head coach and Sourav Ganguly as the Director of Cricket, Delhi Capitals (DC) have two of the sharpest brains in world cricket at their disposal. However, DC have failed to win a game so far in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) season. DC were outplayed by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Saturday, and it was their fifth straight defeat in the competition. The David Warner-led side remain bottom of the points table with zero points so far.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri didn’t show any mercy to either the franchise or Ganguly. While commentating during their match against RCB, Shastri took a cheeky jibe at Ganguly.
“Problem now with Delhi Capitals is, especially with the way the other teams are going, you lose four on the trot, it becomes very, very difficult to come back. There are people in that dugout that are not used to losing. Ricky Ponting’s one. David Warner too. He’s been on the winning side as well. It’s not about losing. It’s about being hammered. It’s five on the trot, with you not looking like winning. Losing close games is one thing, when you’re being outplayed by opposition, it’s not a happy story. Sourav Ganguly, the former president of the board. He must have thought it’s nice upstairs,” Shastri was heard as saying on-air.
DC captain Warner remains hopeful of a turnaround despite his team’s fifth straight loss.
Virat Kohli struck 50 to guide hosts Bangalore to 174-6, a total their bowlers defended by restricting Delhi to 151-9 in the first match of the day.
Delhi were never in the chase, losing regular wickets.
Even Warner, who has scored 228 runs with three half-centuries in the tournament but has struggled with his strike rate, only scored 19.
Manish Pandey made 50, but the rest of the batting fell apart as debutant and local boy Vijaykumar Vyshak returned figures of 3-20 for RCB.
The returning Mitchell Marsh, back after getting married in Australia, had a positive impact with the ball, but failed to give his side a good start in the chase.
(With AFP Inputs)
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