Yuvraj Singh will soon come good this season: JP Duminy

JP Duminy has led from the front for the Daredevils

Delhi Daredevils (DD) skipper JP Duminy has provided support to the beleaguered Yuvraj Singh after his poor form continued against the Rajasthan Royals at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai last night. Chasing a daunting target of 190, DD needed a big contribution from their record signing but were let down once again as Yuvraj could muster no more than 22 from 18 balls, taking his overall tally this season to 146 runs from 9 matches at an average of 18.25.

Asked after their 14-run loss whether Yuvraj would be persisted with, Duminy said: “It’s pretty much 15 minutes after the game, so we haven’t discussed any options. Any sort of options are open. But I still believe in him as a player. At the end of the day, he’s a match-winner. I still believe he’s going to come good in this tournament. As a squad and franchise, we back him to do that for us. Yes, it hasn’t gone to plan in the first 8-9 games, but I still believe something good is going to come from him.”

While Yuvraj is under the pump for his lack of runs in recent times, Duminy himself has been in brilliant touch scoring 276 runs from 9 matches at an average of 46 and a strike rate just under 130. Having been given the challenge of captaining a side that had finished bottom last season, the South African left-hander has duly stepped up to the plate and thrived both as a batsman and captain.

“I’m thoroughly enjoying it (captaincy). I’ve found that it brings out the best in me to lead. It’s been good for my performance, and it’s exciting to be able to lead from the front. It’s a privilege to lead this team. Yes, we’ve had some decent success compared to last season, but we’re still striving for more. Each and every member wants to qualify for that playoff and that’s what we’re striving for,” he concluded.