Former West Indies batsman Brian Lara believes that South African bowler Kagiso Rabada’s recent form is a source of concern for his IPL team, the Delhi Capitals. The Rishabh Pant-led squad had a fantastic season in 2021, finishing first in the standings with 10 victories in 14 games.
The Capitals, who made IPL history by becoming the first club to win both the Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians in the same year, lost the first qualifier to the CSK on October 10. They will meet the champions of the Eliminator, Kolkata Knight Riders, in the 2nd qualifier on October 13 for a chance to advance to the final.
Considering the Capitals’ incredible run, pace bowler Kagiso Rabada has not been at his best in the 2021 season, taking just 13 wickets from 14 matches at an avg of 33.30 and a strike rate of 8.32.
Rabada played a big part in getting DC to the 2020 finals
Lara explained why the Delhi Capitals will applaud Rabada’s return to form. “Yes (his form is a concern for Delhi), he is an exceptional talent. He played a big part in them getting to the finals (in 2020), he got a lot of wickets in the middle and backend overs with slower balls, and that has not been happening for him of late.”
Rabada was a crucial player in the squad in the 2020 season, winning the Purple Cap after taking 30 wickets at an average of 18.26 to help his side reach their first final, however, they surrendered to Mumbai Indians. Unfortunately, he hasn’t appeared to be in the same form this year.
“When you got Anrich Nortje doing the business up front, you want a world-class bowler who can do what he did in the previous tournaments, which he hasn’t, and this has cost him a little bit of anxiousness. I suppose Delhi Capital will love to see Rabada back in form,” added Lara.
So far in the IPL, the right-arm speedster has 74 wickets at a strike rate of 20.77 and an economy rate of 8.26.
