The Delhi Capitals are going through a rough patch in the ongoing 2023 Indian Premier League, with a disappointing record of seven losses in 11 matches. Occupying the bottom spot on the points table, the team’s chances of qualifying for the playoffs seem bleak. The absence of their regular captain, Rishabh Pant, who is recovering from injuries sustained in a car crash last year, has added to their woes. Under the leadership of David Warner, the Capitals have struggled to find stability, particularly in their batting department.
Despite having two renowned figures in coaching roles, Ricky Ponting as the head coach and Sourav Ganguly as the director of cricket, the team has struggled to find its rhythm this season. Ponting and Ganguly had previously worked together during the 2019 IPL season when the franchise underwent a transformation. In that edition, the Delhi Capitals finished third in the points table. Although this year has been challenging, Ponting shared his experience of working with Ganguly, with whom he had encountered several intense battles during their playing days.
“When you talk about rivalry, Steve Waugh was a bigger rival for me than Sourav. They had a bit more edge than Sourav and I did. We played against each other a lot, and we captained our respective teams in a World Cup final. But Sourav was involved with DC in 2019 when things really started to change. He took on bigger responsibilities in recent years, and now he’s back with us,” Ponting revealed during a Delhi Capitals podcast.
Ponting emphasized that despite any personal rivalry, their focus remains on the bigger picture and the success of the Delhi Capitals as a team. He cited his experience of working with Harbhajan Singh at the Mumbai Indians, calling him one of his fiercest rivals on the field. However, once they joined forces at Mumbai Indians, Ponting realized the camaraderie that develops in the IPL.
“One of the best examples was when I joined Mumbai… Harbhajan was one of my biggest on-field rivals. But the next minute, I found myself captaining him! I was taking catches off his bowling and embracing him! That’s the beauty of the IPL. The international rivalries are not as strong because you end up working with those players,” explained the former Australian skipper.
The Delhi Capitals will need to regroup and find their winning form quickly if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive in the remainder of the tournament. With the guidance of Ponting and Ganguly, they will be aiming to turn their fortunes around and make a late surge up the points table.