IPL 2018: Delhi Daredevils Out Of Playoff Race Due To Poor Selection Of The Playing Eleven: Sunil Gavaskar

Prior to the start of the eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League, there was an air of optimism surrounding the Delhi Daredevils’ camp. The perennial under-achievers had struggled to do well in recent years, finishing in the bottom half more often than not.

However, speculations were high that the trend would change after they assembled a good squad and backroom staff. In Gautam Gambhir, they signed up a two-time IPL winning skipper. To bolster their coaching staff, they signed the legendary Ricky Ponting. During the auction, they had secured the services of Colin Munro, Jason Roy, Prithvi Shaw, Trent Boult, Glenn Maxwell and other big names.

Not surprisingly, they were tipped by many to do well this season. But the story has remained the same as they became the first team to drop out of the playoff race. During the course of the tournament, Gambhir stepped down as skipper after a dismal start to the season.  Shreyas Iyer was handed the team’s reigns but the team’s fortunes did not change on the expected notes under the new skipper.

And former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar feels that poor selection of the playing eleven was responsible for Daredevils’ poor show this season.

Delhi of course are out of it once again mainly due to poor selection of the playing eleven. The problem of having a coach who hasn’t seen the domestic players was evident when young Abhishek Sharma was picked to play after the team was out of the running for the play-offs. The young man showed how he would have fitted right in and though one performance does not mean much. It’s just the attitude and approach that was so refreshing to see and which Delhi could have done with. Especially when some of their fancied overseas players have been more of a no show than the big show that they were expected to be,” he wrote in TOI.

Meanwhile, the Daredevils got back to winning ways on Friday with a clinical 34-run win over Chennai Super Kings. Asked to bat first, they scored 162 for 5. In reply, the Super Kings could only manage 128 for 6.