After years of hits and misses, Team Delhi reached their maiden finals of the Indian T20 League in the 2020 edition but finished as the second-best. This was seen as a sign of rejuvenation for a team that often stalled when a winning opportunity knocked on the door.

With Rishabh Pant taking over as Delhi captain in place of the injured Shreyas Iyer, onlookers are curious if the franchise can indeed end their title drought this year. However, considering their performances last term - where they lost just two league games in the first nine before winning one in the last five, consistency is something the 23-year-old will demand from his team-mates.

Delhi kick off their Indian T20 League 2021 season against Chennai at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, April 10, and upon closer look of their squad depth, it is safe to say the franchise can possibly go the distance in the latest edition.

Team Delhi squad

Shreyas Iyer’s absence is a massive blow to Delhi’s batting strategy in the Indian T20 League but the team can somehow fill the void with some powerful knocks from Steve Smith - acquired for a meagre fee of Rs 2.20 crores.

The 2020 finalists retained 19 players and released six players - which included the likes of Alex Carey, Keemo Paul and Jason Roy - ahead of the February auctions.

 

• Are Team Mumbai equipped to win their sixth Indian T20 League title?

 

With a purse of Rs 13.40 crores, Delhi weren’t expected to do much business but by adding Smith, Sam Billings (Rs 2 crores) and Umesh Yadav (Rs 1 crore), the team bolstered their options in the batting and pace bowling sector.

England all-rounder Tom Curran was the most expensive buy at Rs 5.25 crore and much will be expected from him in a pace line-up that consists of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Ishant Sharma, besides the 33-year-old Yadav.

Team Delhi squad for Indian T20 League 2021: Shreyas Iyer (ruled out), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (captain and wicket-keeper), Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman Meriwala, Manimaran Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings

Team Delhi strength and weakness

Strengths:

Delhi is one of the few teams whose batting line-up is quite intimidating, and their performances in the 2020 season showcased their intent to challenge for the title. The likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Rishabh Pant will be charged with laying the foundations for match-winning totals.

 

• Can Rajasthan finally find a good balance in Indian T20 League 2021 season?

 

Prithvi Shaw, who had a forgettable campaign with Delhi last term, warmed up for the upcoming season with 800-plus runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and will look to prove his detractors wrong.

In Marcus Stoinis, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel, Delhi have some quality all-rounders who can chip in runs and also take wickets to place the tide of an Indian T20 League in their favour.

The middle-order batters had smashed 1290 runs last season, the most by batsmen in the #4 - #7 slot and the addition of Sam Billings should give an exciting injection to Delhi.

Weakness:

The presence of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Ishant Sharma already made Delhi’s bowling attack something for opposition to fear. But, it is their tendency to leak runs in crucial periods - such as the death overs - which could ultimately cost them a win. They have conceded 595 runs in the powerplay overs - third-most by any team. Pant must devise an effective plan around his bowlers and see that his strengths in the batting and bowling departments are equally balanced.

• Three things Delhi should do to win their maiden title

 

 

For Rishabh Pant, there isn’t a recognised wicket-keeper back-up for him in the Delhi team. Considering the new captain will have new responsibilities to shoulder, and fatigue likely to take a toll on him, the Ricky Ponting-coached team will have to shift their team dynamics should they give the keeping duties to Sam Billings.

Who can be the highest run-scorer for Team Delhi?

Rishabh Pant has had an enjoyable 2021 so far, with a string of match-winning performances in the recent series against England convincing the management to hand him the reigns of the Delhi captaincy. The 23-year-old has stacked 2079 runs in just 68 games at an average and strike rate of 35.23 and 151.97 respectively, a sign that he is prepared to anchor Delhi’s charge for a maiden Indian T20 League crown.

Who can be the highest wicket-taker for Team Delhi?

Looking up at Delhi’s bowling options, one can simply say the Kagiso Rabada will be the champion bowler for the team in the 2021 edition. However, those who have followed the league closely, Amit Mishra will be the leading contender to play a key role in the upcoming campaign. The 38-year-old, with 160 wickets in the T20 extravaganza, featured in three games last term before a finger injury ended his campaign. Mishra is on the cusp of two major milestones - 11 wickets to become the highest wicket-taker in the Indian T20 League and five matches to become the first Delhi player with 100 appearances in the cash-rich league.

Where will Team Delhi finish in Indian T20 League 2021?

Delhi’s current team roster is an indication that they could make it into the playoffs round at the very least, and the presence of experienced figures in Dhawan, Ashwin, Smith and Rahane will be influential to their cause. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to perfect execution of their strengths and that is something Rishabh Pant will need to work in tandem with head coach Ricky Ponting.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Sajjad Hussain

This is the eleventh in a series of features where we will be taking a detailed dive into the various factors that stood out during the course of the Indian T20 League 2020 season.

An exhilarating season of the Indian T20 League came to an expected end as Mumbai lifted the title. In what was an odd season, quite a few sensational records were broken including a world record number of Super Overs in a day. 

“They say anything can and usually does happen in the Indian T20 League," said Lee.

"This season, however, I saw some records unfold that I wouldn't have thought possible! Shikhar Dhawan, who had never even scored a century in the league before this season, scored not one but two consecutive tons, which for me was absolutely unexpected. Then there was Mohammed Siraj's stunning display of swing bowling that earned him a record first double wicket-maiden in league history. No less impressive also was Varun Chakravarthy's 5-fer that absolutely shattered Delhi's middle order to bits.�?/p>

Here we take a glance at some unexpected records that tumbled in during the season.

Shikhar Dhawan's back-to-back tons

It's been 13 seasons since the Indian T20 League began, but not once had a batsman hit back-to-back centuries in the tournament. Oddly enough, it was Shikhar Dhawan, who never had hit a century in his Indian T20 League career before this season, who broke the record. He hit a 101* vs Chennai after hitting back-to-back half-centuries before that game and followed it up with a 106* vs Punjab. The Delhi opener had a stellar season and finished as the second-highest run-scorer.

Siraj's sensational spell

Often seen as a third-wheel in bowling attacks, Mohammed Siraj turned up with a dream spell against Kolkata. Siraj began his spell with a stunning double-wicket maiden. But he wasn't done there. He went on to take another wicket-maiden and ended the game with figures of three for 8 in his four overs. As many as 16 of his 24 deliveries were dot balls. Kolkata went on to record just 84 for 8 in their 20 overs, the lowest total in the season.

Varun Chakravarthy and a rare five-for

Varun Chakravarthy had a roller-coaster season where he went from being the third spinner in the team to the frontline spinner and made it to the Indian team for the Australia T20Is only to be ruled out of it later with an injury. The mystery spinner from Tamil Nadu was Kolkata's best bowler on display and picked up a rare five-wicket haul. Chakravarthy's five-fer against Delhi was the first and only five-wicket haul in the season. It was also the second time an uncapped Indian had taken a five-wicket haul in the league. 

Nortje and the speed factor

Anrich Nortje was perhaps the find of the season for Delhi. A replacement player, the South African set the tournament alight with his pace and recorded the fastest delivery the league had seen (among recorded balls) when he delivered a 156kmph delivery against Rajasthan. Four of the fastest deliveries in the season were recorded by Nortje as he lit the season with his fiery pace.  

Record viewership

The pandemic and the situation surrounding it had made the 13th edition of the league a massive mess before it began. This, however, took a massive u-turn during the season as we saw a record-breaking increase of 28% in the viewership in comparison to 2019. While an increase in the viewership was expected with there being no crowds in the ground and more free time for people in general, the massive spike in viewership was unprecedented.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IndianT20League

Mumbai made it three wins in three against Delhi this Indian T20 League season by defeating Shreyas Iyer's team by 57 runs in the first Qualifier on Thursday to book their place in the final for the third time in four years.

The defending champions dominated the games right from the outset despite losing their captain Rohit Sharma early in the game. Riding on the back of two 50+ runs partnerships, Mumbai posted 200/5 on board and a sensational bowling effort from Jasprit Bumrah (14/4) and Trent Boult (9/2) guided Mumbai to a comfortable victory.

A game that was held at Mumbai's way for a majority of time had plenty of things to talk about.

Rohit Sharma’s form ringing alarm bells at Mumbai 

The Mumbai captain was dismissed on a golden duck on Thursday - his first since May 2018 - meaning that he now has the most ducks in Indian T20 League history alongside Harbhajan Singh and Parthiv Patel. Sharma’s form has certainly been alarming given that he has registered six single-digit scores this season, and Mumbai just cannot afford to take it lightly especially at this stage of the tournament. While dropping a captain can be a grinding statement, the hierarchy needs to take into account how Ishan Kishan coped after being promoted up in the order. 

A breakdown in figures of Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock and Ishan Kishan outline further conflict as the skipper has averaged a mere 19.57 in the Powerplay overs this season, scoring 137 runs in 11 innings while being dismissed a whopping seven times. Ishan Kishan, who has played two fewer innings than the captain during this phase, has scored 136 runs at an average of 136. Kishan, in fact, is averaging 100 while opening (four innings), but the figures drop subsequently to 40.14 at No. 4. Not exactly a poor return, per se, but the numbers speak for themselves. 

Mumbai players in Powerplay in 2020
Player	Innings	Runs	Balls	Dismissals	Dot Balls	4s	6s	Average	St. Rate	Balls per boundary
Rohit Sharma	11	137	124	7	69	14	7	19.57	110.48	5.9
Ishan Kishan	9	136	114	1	56	19	4	136	119.29	4.95
Q. de Kock	15	289	210	7	87	31	10	41.28	137.61	5.12

Is it time for Mumbai to reconsider?

Bowling units on a different spectrum

Quick recap:

1: Wickets taken by Delhi pacers on the night.

6: Wickets taken by Mumbai pacers on the night.

Amongst the pacer who bowled more than two overs for Delhi, Kagiso Rabada turned out to be the most economical one, ending his night with a lowly figure of 10.50. The likes of Anrich Nortje and Daniel Sams, on the other hand, went for 12.50 and 11.00 respectively. The three men, in fact, combined for just one wicket and seemed to have run out of ideas, allowing the Mumbai batsmen to pick their lines quite early on. It is safe to say that Nortje’s obdurate approach of constantly delivering short-pitch bowls gave Mumbai a helping hand in one way or another.

In the 16th over, the South African was hit for 18 runs. In the final over, his reluctancy of bowling through the stumps to Hardik Pandya was punished by 20 runs, meaning that the 26-year-old gave away 50 runs on the night - a whopping 25 percent of Mumbai’s total.

Contrary to Delhi’s return though, Mumbai struck in the very first over, dismissing Prithvi Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane, restricting them from opening the account. On came Bumrah after Trent Boult’s carnage and it was three-for-none in no time. The pacers�?effort of combining for four wickets in the Powerplay overs was duly rewarded as Delhi managed a mere 32 runs during the phase. Delhi did manage to climb the impossible ladder during the middle overs, with Marcus Stoinis and Axar Patel combining for 71 runs, but the Australian simply had no answers to Bumrah's trickery, who dismissed him in the very first ball upon returning in the 16th over.

Prithvi Shaw needs a fix

179: Runs scored by Prithvi Shaw in his first five games.

26: Runs scored by the 20-year-old in his last five outings.

A duck on Thursday means Prithvi Shaw has now been dismissed without opening his account on three occasions this season; joint highest alongside Shikhar Dhawan, Dinesh Karthik and Nitish Rana. Delhi will get another go at booking their place in the final, but if they are to turn their fortunes against Mumbai, they need to find the lost form of Prithvi Shaw. Opening the batting means he is certain to square off against pacers, against whom he has been utterly inadequate. In fact, this season, 12 of his 15 dismissals have come against pacers while scoring just 122 runs during the entirety of the season.

Openers are tasked to set the momentum and have the luxury of welting during the field restriction and failing at it causes rupture, as we saw tonight. What Delhi needs to do is to let bygones be bygones and work on Shaw’s deficiencies if they are to have a go at the title.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IndianT20League

A sensational bowling display followed by a measured chase saw Delhi score an easy six-wicket win over Bangalore and seal their place in Qualifier 1 against Mumbai in the 2020 Indian T20 League.

Here are the key talking points from the contest:

A masterclass from the veterans

Chasing a modest total, Delhi lost Prithvi Shaw in just the second over, sending jitters in their dugout, but their two most experienced batsmen, Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane batted beautifully to ensure victory for their side. The duo forged a 78-run partnership that broke Bangalore’s resilience and set Delhi on course for an easy chase. While Dhawan smashed 54 off 41 balls, Rahane scored a measured 60 off 46 that reduced the asking rate to a run a ball. A fantastic chase set up by two wily veterans.

Pace attack does the trick

Delhi's pace duo of Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada have been sensational all season long and in their final league game of the season, they yet again came to the fore, combining to pick five wickets in their eight overs. Nortje and Rabada picked up timely wickets, breaking every momentum-building partnership that Bangalore built and limiting them to just 152 on the scoreboard. A stellar display that sealed the second spot for Delhi.

Devdutt does it again

While the rest of Bangalore's batting order struggled to get going, opener Devdutt Padikkal was yet again on song for his side, scoring a valiant 50 off 41 that helped his side put a fighting total on the scoreboard. The youngster smashed five boundaries in a typically classy knock that saw him climb to third on the list of the league’s leading runscorers this season. With Bangalore guaranteed at least one more match, Padikkal could breach the 500 mark in his maiden Indian T20 League campaign, which would be a stellar achievement for the southpaw.

Victory in defeat

While Bangalore did lose this contest, they managed to bowl 19 overs before Delhi eventually reached the target. Bangalore had to ensure that they bowled at least 17.3 overs to stay ahead of Kolkata on net run rate and they cleared that mark by eight balls to qualify for the playoffs. They will now take on either Kolkata or Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 on Friday.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IndianT20League

Every Indian T20 League season throws up some amazing names and newer talent, while we also see existing players step up for their teams to become key players. This season, with the tournament conducted outside India, we have had some outstanding players showing what they are capable of and becoming an integral part of their respective teams. Here are three of the most exciting yet unexpected players who have been in full bloom this season.

Anrich Nortje (Delhi)

Anrich Nortje set the speed gun racing and bowled the three fastest balls in the season, including the fastest ever since 2012 edition of the Indian T20 League in the game against Rajasthan. While impressive on the pace front, it is Nortje's incredible control and effectiveness across phases of an innings that has made him a terrific replacement player for Delhi who called upon him after Chris Woakes withdrew from the season. Nortje has 10 wickets in the season at an average of 23.5 and an economy rate of 7.34 which is even better than Rabada. An impact player this year for Delhi, Nortje wasn't even expected to start for them.

Mayank Agarwal (Punjab)

While Mayank Agarwal has been around in the Indian T20 League for nearly a decade, he has never had a better season before with the bat. Mayank has compiled 382 runs at an average of 47.75 and a stunning strike-rate of 161.18 this year. A terrific hitter of pace and spin alike, Mayank has been a force at the top of the order for Punjab in 2020. His previous highest tally in a season was 322 last year. While there were signs of improved form, Mayank has taken the 2020 edition by storm with his terrific striking prowess. Alongside a subdued KL Rahul, Mayank has constantly stepped up and helped Punjab to rousing starts.

Varun Chakravarthy (Kolkata)

Not even expected to start for his franchise, Varun Chakravarthy has become an elite spinner in the Kolkata ranks and has been leading their spin attack in the absence of Sunil Narine and the loss of form of Kuldeep Yadav. Chakravarthy, who had a forgettable debut last year for Punjab, seems to have a defined role in the Kolkata setup this year. The Tamil Nadu spinner has been tidy with his bowling, most importantly using his impressive variations lavishly to confuse batsmen. In the 2020 edition of the tournament, Chakravarthy has played six matches taking five wickets at an economy of 7.46. Chakravarthy has been used in tandem with the pacers and his restriction of batsmen with defensive tactics and the odd-flighted leggie or googly and paid rich dividends this year.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / Delhi

In a breeze, we have already crossed the midway mark of the 2020 Indian T20 League season and I now have a clearer picture on which teams are the cream of the crop and which need a bit of fine-tuning (or a big overhaul) through the rest of the way.

Teams in the top four will be eager to build on the gap to the chasing pack while those outside the playoff spots will be aiming to cut the lead of those leading the way.

With all eight teams in action during the weekend, a lot can change on the standings table by Monday. So, with teams eager to score points, here are the players I’ll be keeping a keen eye on this weekend.

Rajasthan �?Rahul Tewatia

If the tournament ended today, I don’t think many would argue against Rahul Tewatia winning the Most Valuable Player award. The all-rounder has been sensational for Rajasthan this season with both bat and ball and has won them games with his performances. With over 200 runs with the bat and an economy of just 7.39 with five scalps to his name, Tewatia has been invaluable to Rajasthan and I believe he holds the key to his team’s fortunes.

Bangalore �?Aaron Finch

In a season where rookie Devdutt Padikkal has been brilliant with the bat, while AB de Villiers and of late, Virat Kohli, continue to be their incredible selves, it’s Aaron Finch who has been the black sheep of that batting order. In eight innings, Finch has mustered just 191 runs at an average of just 23.87 and a high score of 52. What has been more surprising to me is that Finch, who is among the hardest hitters of a cricket ball in the game today, is striking at just 113.69, a poor return for an opener, let alone a player of his calibre. Bangalore are doing quite well this season and are looking in prime position to make it to the playoffs. However, Finch’s form will be an area of grave concern for Virat Kohli and his men.

Delhi �?Anrich Nortje

Nothing gets a fielding side more pumped than a fast bowler steaming in and clocking over 150 clicks with the ball. Anrich Nortje’s incredible spell against Rajasthan was a thing of beauty and by far the most scintillating show of fast bowling that I have seen so far this season. He’s been a tremendous partner with the ball for compatriot Kagiso Rabada and it’s brilliant to see two fast bowlers feeding off the pressure that the other builds and picking up wickets aplenty for their side. Delhi have the best bowling side in the league and Nortje is a big contributor in that unit.

Chennai �?Ravindra Jadeja

It’s been a rather strange season for Jadeja. Usually pretty reliable with the ball, he has struggled this season, giving away almost nine runs an over and averaging 50. Perhaps the best fielder in India, he’s also dropped a couple of sitters in the field, a sight as rare as they come. He is, however, excelling with the bat and has already scored more runs this season than he managed in the last two. He hit his maiden 50 in the Indian T20 League against Hyderabad, which ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides on the day. Ironically though, despite his pretty impressive form with the bat, he’s consistently batted at No. 7 and even No. 8 at times, a rather baffling decision given his form. What I’d like to see is Jadeja batting higher up the order and continue taking on the opposition as he has in his limited opportunities this season.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @Anrich Nortje02

Almost midway through the season, and the cream of the crop has risen to the top in the Indian T20 League campaign. But if you are still struggling with your fantasy side, here are a few picks to help you through the rest of the week:

Player: Suryakumar Yadav

Team: Mumbai

Mumbai's top-order batsman, Suryakumar Yadav has found his element and is yet again his team’s leading runscorer of the season. The Mumbai-native has been stellar since signing for the team in 2018 and after a tough couple of matches, announced his return to form with back-to-back sensational knocks against Rajasthan and Delhi. Mumbai will up against Kolkata, Suryakumar’s former side, and a struggling Punjab side this week so expect Yadav to be amongst the runs in both matches.

Player: Rahul Tewatia 

Team: Rajasthan

It’s hard to think of a player having a bigger impact on their team than Rahul Tewatia is having for Rajasthan. The all-rounder has become a key contributor for his side with both bat and ball and has been instrumental in all their victories so far this season. The 27-year-old has 159 runs with the bat and five wickets with the ball in what is quickly turning into an MVP-calibre season. Tewatia has become a must-have in your fantasy roster.

Player: Shreyas Iyer

Team: Delhi

Shreyas Iyer has been a terrific captain for Delhi this season, but the talented batsman is also coming good with the bat of late with a couple of brilliant knocks in his last few outings. Against Kolkata, Iyer played an incredible knock of 88 off 38 balls, leading his side to a mammoth win and in his last outing against his hometown side, Mumbai, the 25-year-old scored 42 off 33 on a tough batting surface. Iyer is peaking at the right time for Delhi and could be a great addition to your team.

Player: Ravi Bishnoi 

Team: Punjab

A star at the under-19 World Cup and now the Indian T20 League, youngster Ravi Bishnoi is quickly emerging as one of the best new finds in the league this season. The 20-year-old has picked up four wickets in his last two matches and is quickly climbing the list of the leading wicket-takers of this season. Bishnoi's impact of late is comparable to that of Bangalore’s Yuzvendra Chahal who has consistently answered his team’s call when they are in the hunt for a wicket or two. Pick the youngster in your team.

Player: Anrich Nortje

Team: Delhi 

Speedster Anrich Nortje has been the perfect partner for the leader in the race for the Purple Cap, Kagiso Rabada. The South African has picked up eight wickets at a good economy rate of 7.21 and is one of the key reasons for Delhi's incredible start to the campaign. With teams refraining from going after Rabada, their strategy to target Nortje has resulted in wickets for the pacer. If you are in the hunt for a wicket-taker, take a gamble on Nortje.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @rahultewatia02

Some big hitting at the end of their batting effort and an inspired bowling performance saw Delhi register a 46-run victory over Rajasthan and ascend to the top of the Indian T20 League standings.

Here are the key talking points from the contest:

Shimron's stellar night

Despite scoring just 46 runs through the first five matches, Delhi's think-tank continued to believe in Shimron Hetmyer's abilities and the West Indian finally delivered for the side, scoring 45 off just 24 balls to help his side post an excellent total of 184. Hetmyer came in to bat in rather dire circumstances with his team reeling at 79/4 in just the 10^th over, but the Guyanese batsman did not hold back and went after the bowling attack, helping himself to his highest score of the season.

Tewatia the lone warrior

In a team housing some of the world's best players in Steve Smith, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler, all-rounder Rahul Tewatia is emerging as the team’s most valuable player this season. The 27-year-old was brilliant with the ball, giving away just 20 runs in his four overs, also dismissing the dangerous Marcus Stoinis just when he was getting in his groove. Tewatia then batted valiantly, scoring 38 off 29 balls to keep his side in the hunt but ultimately couldn’t help his side avoid defeat. Irrespective of the result, Rajasthan will be pleased with the performance of their all-rounder.

Ashwin and Anrich annihilate Rajasthan

Defending 184, Delhi knew that the key to winning the contest was ensuring that they get both Steve Smith and Jos Buttler early in their innings, and they did just that, thanks to their pace-spin duo of Anrich Nortje and Ravichandran Ashwin. The spinner picked up the prized wicket of Buttler in the third over of the match while the speedster dismissed Smith in the ninth, breaking a budding partnership between the Australian and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. The duo combined to give away just 47 runs in their eight overs - an economy of under six - which helped Delhi bundle Rajasthan out for just 138.

Samson's stuttering form

While nobody questions how incredibly talented Sanju Samson is, his inconsistent form has always been a bane on his CV and he’s showcasing it yet again during this season. He scored 159 runs in his first two outings with the bat this season but has since scored only 17 runs in four matches at an abysmal average of 4.25 and a strike rate of just 73.91. While be continues to be a mainstay in the Rajasthan line-up, his performances haven’t warranted the trust the team have shown in him.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / Indian T20 League

South Africa fast bowler Anrich Nortje had gone unsold in the auctions for the 2020 edition of the Indian T20 League, but that didn't stop him from flying out to the UAE to play in the cash-rich tournament. Chris Woakes, Delhi's big-budget recruit from the auctions, had to pull out of the tournament due to personal reasons and that was when the franchise roped in Nortje as his replacement.

This was going to be the South African's first rodeo in the Indian T20 League. He had been a promising performer for South Africa at the international level ever since he made his debut last year, but handling the pressure of a tournament like this has always panned out to be a difficult challenge even for the best in the business. However, as things stand for Delhi four matches later in the season, Nortje has delivered the goods like a champion bowler.

It's not easy to carve out your own identity as a pacer when there is already a world-class bowler like Kagiso Rabada in the same team. He played a major role in taking Delhi to the playoffs last season as he claimed a total of 25 wickets in just 12 matches. And he has started off this edition on a bright note as well, having registered nine wickets in just four matches.

Nortje, on the other hand, has played an equal number of matches as his South Africa teammate but picked up four less wickets than him. However, his impact on the team's overall performance can't be measured from his tally of wickets alone.

It can be said that the 26-year-old has had the same impact on the team as Rabada, albeit in a different role.

Â	Â	PP Overs (1-6)	Middle Overs (7-16)	Death Overs (17-20)
Â	Overs	8	4	4
Anrich Nortje	Runs	50	42	35
Â	Wickets	2	2	1
Â	SR	24	12	24
Â	EconomyÂ	6.25	10.5	8.75
Kagiso Rabada	Overs	4	6	6
Â	Runs	15	55	56
Â	Wickets	0	3	5
Â	SR	-	12	7.2
Â	EconomyÂ	3.75	9.17	9.33

Table: Performance across different phases of Indian T20 League 2020 for Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje

While Delhi have used both bowlers across each phase of the innings, Rabada has been used mainly as a middle-overs enforcer and death bowler. He has bowled 12 out of his 16 overs so far in the middle and death overs combined.

Nortje, on the other hand, has been used more as a powerplay weapon. He has bowled fifty percent of his total overs so far in the powerplay and the other fifty percent of his overs are spread equally across the middle and death overs.

And, as the table above reveals, he has done an equally commendable job as Rabada. He has not only maintained a mean economy rate of 6.25 in the Powerplay but has also picked up two wickets in that phase.

He has been slightly more expensive than Rabada in the middle-overs but has been equally effective in terms of taking wickets. Both of them have the same strike-rate in the middle-overs.

As far as their death overs numbers go, he hasn't been as effective a wicket-taker as Rabada but he has contained batsmen better than him. And when it mattered the most in the game against Kolkata at Sharjah, he delivered by picking up the wicket of a dangerous-looking Eoin Morgan in the death overs.

Nortje emerged as the best bowler for Delhi in a match that saw bowlers getting carted to all parts of the ground. While Rabada got smashed for 51 runs in his four overs, Nortje conceded just 33 runs in his full quota of overs and picked up three wickets as well.

This performance proved that he isn't just a supporting cast to Rabada in the Delhi setup anymore. Nortje, in fact, is a match-winner on his own.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / Delhi

The Indian T20 League's 2020 edition is set to welcome us and as is always the case with such tournaments, we have a fair few last-minute replacements in teams as a result of injury, players pulling out for national commitments or the fear of the pandemic sweeping the globe. Here we look at four of the latest replacement players named, the possible reason they were chosen by the respective franchise and how good a pick they are likely to be.

Adam Zampa - Bangalore

Replacing Kane Richardson with Adam Zampa, a leg-spinner, might have been a tad surprising, but Bangalore have been spot-on with their signings this season. While they already have a leg-spinner certain to start in Yuzvendra Chahal, attacking with spinners, particularly wrist spinners who take wickets, has been immensely successful in T20 cricket.

On slow decks like in UAE, Bangalore could ponder going the way of a lot of Caribbean Premier League teams and go all out in attack with spinners ranging from Chahal and Moeen to Zampa, Negi and Sundar. The Australian leg-spinner is usually economical and has a knack of picking up wickets too, which makes him a handy pick for Bangalore this season.

James Pattinson - Mumbai

Surprisingly, Mumbai chose to replace Lasith Malinga with another pace bowler when they have a plethora of fast bowling options in the bag in Trent Boult, Mitchell McClenaghan and Nathan Coulter-Nile to assist the Indian pacers, Jasprit Bumrah and Dhawal Kulkarni. Pattinson adds no new dimension to the attack with his hit-the-deck lengths and is a bizarre pick, particularly given that the franchise is short-staffed in the spin department. With options like Tabraiz Shamsi available to bolster the spin attack in UAE, Mumbai have strangely stuck to their guns in going seam-heavy. It remains to be seen if they can pull a rabbit out of the hat in these challenging conditions.

Daniel Sams - Delhi 

Daniel Sams is a queer choice from a franchise that made a lot of strange choices in the auction this season. While it's certainly a left-field pick, it's hard to see Sams playing a game for Delhi this year. While Sams did well in the Big Bash League, his performances came on completely different wickets against completely different kinds of batters. His skillsets aren't really in sync with conditions in UAE and it's hard to miss the Ricky Ponting influence in this choice. With Delhi Capitals already having pace bowling all-rounders in Marcus Stoinis, Harshal Patel and Keemo Paul, Sams is a real odd pick.

Anrich Nortje - Delhi

While Anrich Nortje lit up the inaugural Mzansi Super League with his blistering pace and bounce and is a good T20 bowler overall, he does not quite match Delhi's requirements for the season. With Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan, Ishant Sharma, Keemo Paul, Harshal Patel and Mohit Sharma in their ranks, adding Nortje too in the mix would only compound their conundrum. Rather, they seem slightly short on spin-bowling all-rounders who can bat and a middle-order batsman who can chip in with a few overs of spin might have been a more handy pick.

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