IPL 2020: Delhi Capitals not picking Ajinkya Rahane sends the wrong signal 

Why didn’t Delhi Capitals pick Ajinkya Rahane ahead of Prithvi Shaw for their first game against Kings XI Punjab as part of IPL 2020 in Dubai?

Of course, getting the right combination isn’t a cup of tea for all IPL captains. There are leaders like MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma – who are simply spot on with their decisions – and were rightly rewarded with seven IPL wins in the last 12 editions. And then, there are captains who get it wrong at the start of the tournament itself.

Did the Delhi Capitals captain misread the pitch completely?

By dropping a senior pro like Rahane, the management sent out a wrong signal to the entire team. The fact that the team didn’t opt for Rahane also makes it clear that the team didn’t give enough importance to the seniority status of the batsman.

Perhaps, Delhi were looking to compensate for the slighter lower strike-rate that Shikhar Dhawan brings to the table and that is why Shaw was preferred. Last year too, the opening pair of Shaw-Dhawan was one of the reasons behind the team making the play-offs of IPL 2019.

Rahane could have a big role to play for DC in IPL 2020

Delhi also signed players like Mohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin to infuse some experience into the squad. Granted, Rahane could be slow as per the definition given by MS Dhoni on his batting on slower wickets, but he has the experience and has over 3000 runs in IPL.

In hindsight, these are early days and Delhi could be forced to make a change right away for the rest of this IPL. However, Delhi would have to make amends if this opening combination of Shaw and Dhawan doesn’t work.

Shaw, of course, plays a number of uppish drives and could be a perfect fit for the T20 format, and the pitches in the middle-east would also demand batsmen with right technique and temperament.

The Mumbai youngster also plays a lot of horizontal bat shots – which may fetch boundaries, but not at the maximum impact.

In the end, when Rahane walked onto the field as a replacement fielder, he did so at the cost of another senior pro in Ashwin, with the latter having dislocated his shoulder on Sunday evening.

The IPL points table 2020 has been updated!! Click here to see.