Indian Premier League (IPL) side Delhi Capitals’ (DC) pacer Harshal Patel has on Thursday (May 7) showered rich praise on the head coach Ricky Ponting, crediting the Australian great’s leadership and man-management skills for the team’s turnaround over the past two years in the tournament.

Harshal said during an Instagram Live session with the DC, “Ricky ensures that every player feels valued and respected in equal measure. Irrespective of whether you are playing or not, he gives regular feedback to each person and makes them feel like an important part of the team.”

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The right-arm seamer also believes that Ponting the way handles the DC players played a key role in providing much-needed stability to the squad.

He further explained, “In IPL, there are frequent changes in the team with new faces coming in each season. The support staff does a great job in creating consistency within the squad by ensuring that every new and old player believes in the ethos of the team. Once everybody is on the same page and each player understands their role, it becomes easier to gel and perform better as a team.”

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Meanwhile, the dark clouds are looming over the future of the suspended IPL 2020, and he said: “The IPL will return when the time is right, and when it does, Delhi Capitals’ will be the team to beat.”

The 29-year-old pacer is also focused on maintaining his fitness during the nation-wide COVID-19 lockdown, saying: “I am determined to not let my training suffer in this period.”

Patel signed off by saying, “Luckily, I have some expertise in strength and conditioning, so I am using the limited equipment I have at home to stick to a strict fitness regime which involves 5-6 days of workout in a week. The key is to mix up your workouts to avoid monotony.”

(With PTI Inputs)