Dubai: Delhi Capitals suffered their third loss of the tournament against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) on Tuesday (October 20), they will look to bounce back and secure their berth in the playoffs of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Abu Dhabi on Saturday (October 24).
One of Delhi Capitals’ top performers again this season has been South African pacer Kagiso Rabada, and the 25-year-old addressed the media over a virtual press conference on Thursday (October 22), where he spoke on various topics including his side’s five wicket loss against KXIP.
“I don’t know if I would call the loss against KXIP a wake-up call, it’s just a loss and losses do happen. So it’s not about panicking and trying to reinvent the wheel. We need to assess where we felt we went wrong, which we have done already. We’ve talked about the game and where we can improve. Bearing that in mind, we need to realise what good came out of that game as well,” said Rabada.
“Losses can happen so it’s just about getting back up, and getting ready for the next game. Having identified what we have done wrong and have done right, we just need to make some minor adjustments,” added the pacer who wants his team to be ‘third-time lucky at Abu Dhabi’ in Saturday’s afternoon match.
The South African pacer, who holds the Purple Cap with 21 wickets in 10 games, was asked about whether he thinks his bowling can help the team lift the trophy this season, to which he replied, “I think it’s going to have to be a team collective. Look, we have had seven different Man of the Match awardees in the games that we have played. There are so many match-winners in our team, so it shows that all of us are hungry to win.”
“I am the one who’s lucky to get the wickets, but everyone has been contributing to the side. All the bowlers, batsmen and even fielders have contributed in our good performances. You’ve got guys who have put their hand up, and it’s always been a team effort,” added Rabada.
Commenting on his bowling partnership with countryman Anrich Nortje, the right-arm pacer said he enjoys bowling with his compatriot. “It’s awesome bowling with him, I mean he has done really well, he has got a lot of pace, he’s always willing to learn and always open to new ideas, and I think that’s a great trait to have,” Rabada further added.
“He always gives his best for the team and at the end of the day we have a job to do, and I think we have done well so far. Hopefully, we qualify (for the playoffs), we are one win away, and then hopefully we can do it when it matters the most – in the knockout stages also,” added the pacer.
Reckoning that the bowling conditions in India and the UAE are different, Rabada said, “The conditions have been quite tricky here in the UAE because we are playing at the same venues. But we are playing on both fresh and used wickets so they all play quite differently.”
“In Sharjah, it was really flat in the beginning, but then it sort of slowed down and the par score came down to 180. The par scores have remained similar in Dubai, but there’s a difference. A few games in Abu Dhabi, we have seen balls seaming around. All the pitches are definitely on the slower side, which is pretty similar to India, but it’s a different kind of slow. I feel the conditions in the UAE have something for everyone – spin, pace and even batters,” signed off the pace spearhead.
