“They are continually getting off to bad starts” - Shaun Pollock on Prithvi Shaw’s absence from DC top order in IPL 2022

Former South African fast bowler Shaun Pollock believes opener Prithvi Shaw’s absence from the Delhi Capitals (DC) line-up in recent IPL 2022 matches is "massive." He pointed out that Delhi have been getting off to poor starts with the 22-year-old unavailable due to illness.

On Sunday (May 15), Delhi released an official statement confirming that Shaw had been discharged from the hospital after undergoing treatment for a bout of typhoid. The youngster is, however, unlikely to be available for the franchise’s remaining two league clashes.

DC will take on the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Monday in a crucial IPL 2022 match. Previewing the game on Cricbuzz, Pollock shared his views on Shaw’s unavailability and said:

“It’s massive. (Srikar) Bharat’s gone to the top of the order and hasn’t been able to perform in two of the games, which means they are continually getting off to bad starts.”

He added:

“We have seen on countless occasions throughout the IPL, particularly through Prithvi Shaw’s career, fantastic fast starts. It’s not ideal. It’s almost like they’ve got the feeling that they are going to be one down after 2-3 overs. Then the pressure gets to the other guys.”

Shaw last played in IPL 2022 when DC took on the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 1.

Mandeep Singh opened in their next match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and was dismissed for a duck. Bharat has partnered Davd Warner in the last two matches but has been dismissed for eight and a duck.

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“The two teams that have literally gone win-loss, win-loss” - Lisa Sthalekar on DC and PBKS’ inconsistency

Sharing her thoughts on Monday's crucial IPL 2022 clash, former Australian cricketer Lisa Sthalekar stated that both Punjab and Delhi have been extremely inconsistent. She, however, added that the pattern will have to break as only the winning team is likely to stay in the IPL playoffs hunt. Sthalekar said:

“Both teams have got one last chance, one roll of the dice to get everything right. It’s funny because it’s the two teams that have literally gone win-loss, win-loss. Based on that, Delhi are expected to lose and maybe Punjab are expected to win.”

Following Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) victory over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Sunday, both IPL teams are now on 16 points each. DC and PBKS are both on 12 points from 12 matches.

A loss on Monday for either side would mean they can only accumulate a maximum of 14 points, which might not be enough for them to finish in the top four.