DC vs GT: Delhi Capitals and Rishabh Pant accused of serving SRH batsman on the plate by former Indian legend

Wasim Jaffer didn't mince words in criticizing the lackluster bowling performance of the Delhi Capitals (DC) after they suffered a 67-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in match No. 35 of the ongoing IPL 2024 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday, April 20.

The former Indian batter said that the Delhi Capitals (DC) made a huge mistake by playing into Travis Head's strengths, which proved costly for them as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) capitalized on their mistakes and eventually posted a massive total of 266/7 on the board.

The match began on a challenging note for the Delhi Capitals (DC), as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) swiftly scored 19 runs from Khaleel's first over, and it set the tone for a formidable total.

Then, Lalit Yadav was introduced into the attack in the second over, and the DC pacer went on to leak 21 runs in his 6 balls, allowing SRH to race to 40 for no loss within just two overs.

Wasim Jaffer slams DC bowlers for their poor bowling against SRH

Well, Jaffer said that this was the time when the DC bowler needed to change their strategy, suggesting that they should have focused on pitching the ball up rather than resorting to short deliveries against the well-set SRH openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma.

Head emerged as the tormentor-in-chief for the DC bowling lineup, blazing his way to a scintillating 89 runs off a mere 32 balls, including 11 fours and 6 sixes. He also stitched an explosive 131-run opening stand off just 38 balls with Abhishek Sharma (46 runs off just 12 balls).

The Australian batter’s explosive batting display not only propelled SRH to a colossal total but also etched his name in the record books with the joint-fastest fifty by an SRH batter in IPL history.

Meanwhile, Jaffer said that the missed opportunities and tactical errors by the DC bowlers allowed the SRH openers to go rampant and win the game for the team in Delhi.

They just started very badly: Wasim Jaffer

Wasim Jaffer was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo: “We were surprised by the way Khaleel started bowling short to him. You needed to pitch the ball up and allow it to swing. They just played in his hands, bowling short and giving him the start that he wanted. The pitch was so good, Lalit Yadav did not have any help, and it was just hitting from the lengths. They just started very badly and it did not stop after that.”

For DC, Kuldeep Yadav was the standout bowler with impressive bowling figures of 4/55 in his quota of 4 overs, while Mukesh Kumar (1/57) and Akshar Patel (1/29) scalped 2 wickets together against the SRH.

Khaleel and Lalit were the most expensive bowlers for DC, as they conceded 51 and 41 runs in 3 and 2 overs, respectively, against the SRH at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Notably, DC are currently ranked seventh in the IPL 2024 points table with 6 points and a net run rate of -0.477. They will next face the Gujarat Titans (GT) on April 24 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.