Delhi Capitals' Director of Cricket, Sourav Ganguly, on Wednesday (March 27) revealed that pacers Anrich Nortje and Ishant Sharma have regained their fitness from injuries, providing a significant boost to the team's bowling resources ahead of their IPL 2024 fixture against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Thursday.
DC opened their campaign with a four-wicket defeat against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mullanpur last Saturday (March 23). However, Ganguly isn’t too concerned as it's just the beginning of a lengthy tournament.
He highlighted the positive aspect for the Capitals, stating that the return to full fitness of players like Nortje and Ishant augurs well for the franchise going forward.
While Nortje didn’t feature in DC's tournament opener as he was still recovering from a back injury, Ishant faced a setback during the match. The lanky seamer bowled only two overs before leaving the field due to a twisted ankle.
"It's just the early part of the tournament. We worked hard before the season, and hopefully, we will play well. The first game in Chandigarh didn't go our way because we lost Ishant, but that's the way it is in T20s. It's a new game tomorrow," Ganguly said in a release.
"We are full strength now, with Nortje back in the side. With Nortje, Khaleel (Ahmed), Mukesh (Kumar) and Ishant back in the team and fit, and with the two spinners Axar (Patel) and Kuldeep (Yadav), our bowling is definitely our strength.
"With Rishabh back as well, the batting has got stronger than what it was last year because in IPL if you lose a major Indian player, it becomes a big hole to fill."
Ganguly, however, feels batting is one department where DC needs to make significant improvement.
"What needs to get better is we need to bat well, and if you do it, you will win a lot of matches because we do have that bowling," he said.
DC's opponent Rajasthan Royals started their season with a 20-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants last Sunday.
"They are a good team, there's no doubt about it. Our record against them is also good over the years. When you play the same teams over and over again every year, there will be times when you lose and there will be times when you win, so it's a new day tomorrow.
"We have the players who can perform, and hopefully will do it tomorrow," Ganguly said.
(With PTI Inputs)
