Former cricketer Piyush Chawla advises the Delhi Capitals to stay calm and positive after their recent IPL defeat, emphasising the importance of team morale and refocusing on their strengths.
Former Indian cricketer Piyush Chawla believes there may be some panic around Delhi Capitals (DC) after their humiliating defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash in New Delhi on Monday night.
Chawla felt that DC should regroup, discuss calmly, and refocus on playing positive cricket, especially since they started the tournament well and haven't fundamentally changed.
He also said that missed points could hurt DC later in the playoff race, but right now the priority should be to move on, rebuild confidence, and maintain a positive dressing-room environment, which he sees as crucial for their success.
"There will be some panic around for sure, knowing the history of the Delhi Capitals. But that's not the right time [for it] now. They need to sit together, discuss it, and they have to start fresh - because they started pretty well in the tournament, and it's not like in three weeks, the team has changed, or the way of playing has changed," Piyush Chawla said as per ESPNcricinfo.
Just two days after posting their highest-ever IPL total, DC collapsed to one of their lowest scores against RCB at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
They began the season with back-to-back wins but then slipped badly, managing only one victory in their next six matches, with costly dropped catches at crucial moments proving to be a major setback.
On Saturday, Karun Nair dropped Shreyas Iyer twice, allowing Punjab Kings to capitalise and pull off the highest successful run chase in T20 history.
"Later, in the business end of the tournament, when they look back at it, those two points will definitely come to haunt them if they do not qualify [for the playoffs]. So right now is the time [when] they just have to forget everything and move on, start playing some positive cricket, and just make sure there's a very positive environment in the dressing room because that plays a huge role," Chawla said.
Defending champions RCB secured a nine-wicket victory against the DC to log their sixth victory of the season on Monday night in New Delhi.
After restricting the Delhi Capitals to 75/10, RCB put on the second-quickest run chase in IPL history to cruise home in 6.3 overs and nine wickets in hand.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/5) and Josh Hazlewood (4/12) struck early to put the away side firmly in the driver's seat. Hazelwood put on his best figures in the IPL and took home the Player of the Match Award.