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Early momentum in a tournament like the IPL is a wonderful thing, but sustaining it requires adaptability. Over-reliance on one player, especially someone like KL Rahul who can be polarising with his strike rate and tempo, can stall the team’s flow. Former Indian cricketer Surinder Khanna actually cuts to the core of Delhi Capitals’ problem this season. “KL is undoubtedly talented and can anchor an innings beautifully, but if a team builds its batting engine solely around him, it risks becoming one-dimensional,” Khanna said.
Once opposition teams figured out how to contain or dismiss him early, Delhi’s middle-order hasn’t always shown the firepower to recover or accelerate. “Delhi team has a paranoid dependence on KL,” Khanna said.
This speaks to a larger issue of team balance and intent. Having a solid anchor is useful — but T20 success often demands aggressive, fearless batting depth and multiple match-winners. “They are all good on flat decks but the moment the wicket is bouncing or double paced, their lack of technique to handle challenges comes to the forefront,” Khanna suggested.
If batters win you games then bowlers win your tournaments. Delhi’s fast bowling department has also struggled as there is no one to support Australia’s Mitchell Starc. “You have to build partnership to win consistently be it with the bat or ball,” Khanna said while adding the pace battery isn’t offering enough support to Starc.
