Lucknow Super Giants:<\/b> Former India cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has questioned Delhi Capitals\u2019 leadership plans following their trade for Rishabh Pant from Lucknow Super Giants, identifying uncertainty over the captaincy and concerns around the pace attack as two major challenges for the franchise ahead of the upcoming IPL season.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Chopra believes KL Rahul could emerge as the leading option to captain the side, while Pant\u2019s batting position will also be crucial to making the most of his return. Assessing the choices available to Delhi, Chopra noted the presence of multiple candidates but said the franchise\u2019s final decision remains unclear.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThere are multiple questions, actually. It\u2019s an MCQ because who will be the captain? Rishabh Pant has been a captaincy candidate, KL Rahul is an option, and I\u2019m hearing that Axar doesn\u2019t want to be the captain. So, with everything going on, you don\u2019t even know who will captain the side. It could well be KL Rahul at this stage,\u201d Chopra told JioStar.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He also stressed that Pant must be deployed in the top half of the batting order if Delhi are to extract maximum value from the trade, questioning the logic of bringing the wicketkeeper-batter back only to use him lower down the order, while suggesting that Lucknow may have benefited more from the exchange.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAnd Rishabh Pant, now that you have traded him, must bat in the top four. If you are going to bat him lower than that, then you will not utilise him to his fullest potential. I felt that in that trade, LSG was better off because you couldn\u2019t have asked for more than a bowler of Kuldeep\u2019s calibre for that pitch,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
While Delhi appear to have considerable batting depth, Chopra identified the bowling unit as a potential weakness, particularly with Mitchell Starc\u2019s availability still uncertain. He also highlighted the financial investment in the fast-bowling options and the question marks surrounding their recent performances and pointed to the contrasting value of Delhi\u2019s pace acquisitions, noting that some of their relatively inexpensive recruits had delivered strong returns, while the availability and form of the costlier options remained a concern.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAshutosh, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, plus Axar Patel, and then you\u2019ve got Miller. So, it\u2019s a very decent setup. The problem area for them will be their bowling department. Because Mitchell Starc, will he play? It will be a conversation as to whether he will be available to play or not. They will face an issue with their fast bowling this season and how they plan to address it, I\u2019ve got no idea.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cMukesh is at eight crore, Auqib Nabi at Rs 8.4 crore, and then you have Mitchell Starc at nearly 12, so that\u2019s a lot of money. Lungi Ngidi was cheap, picked up for Rs 2 crore. He turned out to be a fantastic bargain. Dushmantha Chameera and Kyle Jamieson weren\u2019t as expensive either. But the more expensive players might not be available. Their pedigree and current form are still uncertain, and Mukesh Kumar\u2019s T20 numbers have actually plummeted a little,\u201d Chopra stated.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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