Delhi Capitals' (DC) assistant coach, Shane Watson, has made it clear that the franchise must consistently play at their best capabilities for the whole 40 overs of a match in the remainder of the ongoing IPL 2022 if they want to stake a claim for a spot in the playoffs.
The Rishabh Pant-led Delhi Capitals (DC) team will start their second half of the IPL 2022 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 28, and Watson urged the team to just go and dominate the match in both innings.
After registering three wins and four losses in their first seven matches in the ongoing IPL 2022, DC is currently in seventh place in the IPL point table, and now they couldn’t avoid another defeat.
Shane Watson said in a DC release: “For us to get into the final, we have to be consistently playing at our best for the whole 40 overs, not just 35 or 36 overs. We know we can do that. So, definitely, the most exciting thing is that we have got the incredible skill and incredible talent within our group. We just got to harness that and bring that together for the next seven games.”
He added, “For me, the most important thing is, us getting closer and closer and playing the perfect game of T20 cricket and just doing that over and over again. We had that a few times, we did that against PBKS. We were good, we weren't at our absolute best, but Punjab on that day weren't great. We also had some other performances where we got really close to that, and that's all we can do.”
Meanwhile, Watson admitted that being in isolation due to the Covid-19 outbreak inside the DC camp was challenging.
He further said: “It is challenging when you are isolated because we human beings are social animals. So, when you are isolated from the group when you are just in your own thoughts for more than a couple of days, it does make it challenging.”
He added, “But, it also made us appreciate getting out, getting to the ground, getting to the training, and getting to the game as well. And, to appreciate being out in the fresh air, making the most of it. So, it was definitely a challenging week for everyone, having sort of worked through that isolation period.”
Hailing the power-hitter Rovman Powell, the DC assistant coach said: “It's exciting for Rovman and for Delhi Capitals as well. He has got incredible power, he has got incredible skills and he has shown this on the international stage for the West Indies a number of times. We all knew that it was just a matter of time when he was going to put it all together in a game and in the situation that arose for him.”
Watson signed off by saying, “He was ready to take it on. And, he got us very close but unfortunately not close enough. But, it is exciting to see him put that all together, and that's going to give him a lot of confidence going into the back end of the tournament.”
(With IANS Inputs)
