Delhi Capitals' Lalit Yadav Identifies A Point Of Advantage For Debutants Ahead Of 2020 IPL

It will be the for the first time that the Indian Premier League (IPL) would be played without crowds and the second time the tournament will take place in the UAE. While spectators do act as an incentive for the players, Delhi Capitals’ Lalit Yadav sees it otherwise. Lalit Yadav reckons that for debutants like him, it is instead an advantage.

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The massive crowds are one of the hallmarks of every IPL season. The chants of iconic cricketers like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni reverberate in every fans’ ears. However, due to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, no spectators have been permitted to enter the stadium. The international cricket matches in England post the COVID-19 era have also taken place without audience thus far and might not change anytime soon.

Lalit Yadav, who plays as a batsman for Delhi in the domestic circuit, was picked up by the franchise for INR 20 lakh in the auction. The 23-year old conceded that the spectator pressure wouldn’t be present on this occasion. He admitted that he has never played in front of a large crowd and only empty stands, hence it is beneficial.

“It’s a good thing for me, like the spectator pressure won’t be there. I have never played in front of a huge crowd so playing in front of empty stands will be like when I play for Delhi or my club, it’s kind of an advantage,” Yadav told Times of India.

As a cricketer, I have always followed Virender Sehwag: Lalit Yadav

Lalit Yadav further said that he always idolized Virender Sehwag in his formative years and loved to watch his batting. He revealed that senior bowler Pradeep Sangwan used to practice with them; hence Sehwag has always been the player to look up to. Yadav’s T20 career has panned out well so far, scoring 408 runs in 30 games, striking at 136.91.

“When I started playing, I used to watch Viru bhaiya’s batting, and our senior Pradeep Sangwan also used to practice with us. So we have seen them from close quarters and started believing that we too can play. So as a cricketer, I have always followed Virender Sehwag,” he added.

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