IPL 2020: Three players the Delhi Capitals should target in the IPL auction 

Delhi Capitals have been one of the most underperforming teams in Indian Premier League history. Along with the Kings XI Punjab, they are the only team yet to lift the prestigious trophy. However, the perennial under-achievers surprised many last season with some very impressive performances. With a new think-tank of Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly, Delhi managed to reach the Qualifiers before being knocked out by Chennai Super Kings.

Delhi have always performed well at the auctions but somehow those smart buys haven’t turned out good for the franchise in terms of performances. Although Delhi have a very balanced squad, there are still some holes that need to be filled. Let us take a look at three players that Delhi should target at the IPL auctions in December:

#1. Ravichandran Ashwin (Off-spinner)-

R. Ashwin has been a top performer in the IPL over the past few years.

The Delhi Capitals are spoilt for choices when it comes to the spin bowling department with four quality spinners up their sleeves in Axar Patel, Mayank Markande, Amit Mishra and Sandeep Lamichhane. However, all these players turn the ball into the left-handers and can easily be targeted. Delhi does not have a quality off-spinner in their ranks with the only option being Jalaj Saxena who struggled to get some game time last year.

One of India’s finest off-spinners Ravichandran Ashwin has been linked with the Delhi franchise during the past month with reports stating that the Capitals are buying out the player in an all-cash deal from the Kings XI Punjab. Ashwin is a street-smart cricketer who has a variety of deliveries in his repertoire to create doubt in the batsman’s mind. Ashwin can bowl in the powerplays, restrict the flow of runs in the middle overs, and outfox the batsmen at the death. Overall, he has taken 125 wickets in IPL at an economy rate of 6.79. It will be a very shrewd piece of business if the deal gets through.

Ashwin has been a great performer in Tests as well.

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#2. Jason Holder (all-rounder)

Holder is one of the best all-rounders at the moment in World cricket.

With the departure of Sherfane Rutherford to Mumbai, Delhi’s squad looks a bit thin in the all-rounder department. Chris Morris has blown hot and cold over the past two years while Keemo Paul is still too young to the cricketing world. Most of Delhi’s big hitters bat at the top, leaving a gaping hole in the lower middle-order. Delhi needs a big hitter who can get some big runs in the death overs.

Jason Holder is arguably one of the most underrated cricketers in international cricket. The big West Indian has grown into one of the best all-rounders in the game. Holder is a treat to watch with the bat and is an excellent player of spin bowling. With the ball, he can get the ball to swing in the powerplay and get you two-three wickets at the top. Moreover, he has tons of experience up his sleeves, having led his country in multiple competitions.

#3. Lendl Simmons (opening batsman)

Simmons has shown with the bat in his previous IPL outings.

Lendl Simmons is an experienced campaigner who can be a good fit for the Delhi Capitals in the upcoming season of the IPL. At times during the last season, Delhi lacked composure with the bat in the middle overs. Delhi boasts of a youthful batting line-up with the likes of Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw still finding their feet in international cricket. Shaw wasn’t consistent with the bat last season and had an average of just 22 runs with the bat and has now found himself banned due to a doping offence.

Lendl Simmons is going through a good run of form with the bat and is currently the second-highest run-scorer in CPL 2019 with 430 runs to his name. Simmons has more than 1000 runs in the IPL at a healthy average of 40. More importantly, he gets these runs at a fair clip with the strike-rate hovering around 130. Simmons has flourished in the IPL in yesteryears and can provide some crucial experience to Delhi’s young batting line up during the 2020 edition of the IPL.

Rishabh Pant-Talented but impetuous.