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According to reports, Delhi Capitals (DC) have decided to retain Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Axar Patel and Anrich Nortje for the 2022 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
November 30 is the deadline for existing franchises to decide on the players they want to retain (maximum four). After that, the two new franchises, Lucknow and Ahmedabad, can buy up to three players by December 25.
ESPN Cricinfo claimed that DC have finalized the four they want to retain, leaving out former captain Shreyas Iyer as well as senior opener Shikhar Dhawan. With Iyer deciding to go into the auction, DC picked dashing opener Shaw instead.
Dhawan lost out to Axar owing to the all-round skills the latter offers. Pant, of course, has been retained because DC want to continue with him as leader, keeping an eye on the future.
Anrich Nortje over Kagiso Rabada, the right move?
A decision to pick the relatively inexperienced Nortje over a seasoned campaigner like Rabada will be debatable. But we give you three reasons why Nortje would be a better choice than Rabada for DC in IPL 2022.
#1 Nortje's ability to strike early
Apart from having the X-factor of extreme pace, Nortje has the ability to strike early bowls rather frequently. Despite not featuring in the first half of IPL 2021, the South African speedster ended the season with credible numbers - 12 scalps in eight matches at a strike rate of 15.16 and an economy rate of 6.16.
Breaking down the numbers further, he claimed at least one wicket in the powerplay in five of the eight matches he featured during IPL 2021, a significant stat that proves he is a genuine wicket-taker. He has done enough to emphasize his value to the franchise.
Even at the T20 World Cup 2021, he was in exemplary form, claiming a wicket inside the powerplay in three of South Africa’s five matches. He ended the tournament with nine wickets at an average of 11.56 and a stunning economy rate of 5.37.
In contrast, Rabada had his moments in both the IPL and the T20 World Cup. But he lacked consistency, blowing hot and cold.
#2 Nortje's brilliance at the death
Bowling at the death requires special skills. As a fast bowler, one needs to have that extra zing while being deadly accurate as well. The likes of Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult have demonstrated how lethal a pacer can be in the end overs.
Nortje is not quite in that league yet. But if he keeps performing the manner that he has been doing over the last couple of seasons, it will only be a matter of time before he gets there. Not only does Nortje pick up wickets at the end, but he is extremely frugal as well.
As mentioned earlier, the South African pacer had an economy rate of 6.16 in IPL 2021, a clear indicator that he did go for a lot either at the start or at the death. Nortje's efficiency in the latest IPL season marked a significant improvement from his debut IPL season last year, when he finished with an economy rate of 8.39.
This is one area where Rabada has struggled recently. Although he claimed 30 wickets last season, Rabada had an economy rate of 8.34. In IPL 2021 as well, he went at 8.14. Until a couple of years back, Rabada was as good as anyone at the death. That isn’t the case anymore.
#3 Nortje is a better bowler than Rabada at the moment
Looking beyond the numbers, Nortje seems to be in a much better frame of mind as a fast bowler at the moment in comparison to Rabada. His purposeful approach to the bowling crease and command over his bowling skills exudes confidence. These nuances were visible during the IPL and T20 World Cup as well. The wickets were a direct result of the processes he followed.
Contrast this to Rabada, who struggled with his line and length in both the major T20 tournaments in the UAE. Like in the IPL, he picked up few wickets in the World Cup as well, but had an economy of 8.15. He constantly bowled boundary balls to ease the pressure on the opposition.
Rabada did claim a hat-trick against England in South Africa’s last Super 12 encounter, but it was a result of the batters looking for quick runs and not due to good bowling. The more significant stat from the game was that the experienced South African fast bowler went for 48 in his four overs, conceding five fours and three sixes.
No doubt, Rabada is a class bowler. But for now, he seems out of sorts. Perhaps the rigors of too much cricket coupled with the bio-bubble factor have taken a toll on him. Nortje looks a lot fresher in comparison, which makes him the better choice among the two as far as DC are concerned.
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