T20 2018: No room for error now, says Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer

Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer

Delhi have shown great fighting spirit under new skipper Shreyas Iyer. The way they fought till the end, chasing 211 against Chennai in Pune was indeed heartening. But in the cutthroat competition at IPL-11, there are no rewards for playing well. Teams realise that nothing less than a win will do. "Yes, we fought bravely against Chennai. We will surely take a few positives into our next game against Rajasthan. From here on there is no room for error. We need to win six out of six [games] to have a chance of making it to the playoffs," Iyer said about the upcoming tie at the Feroz Shah Kotla today.

A must-win for Delhi now
Languishing at the bottom of the points table, Delhi have an uphill task of making it to the playoffs. But one thing in their favour is that five of the six games are at the Kotla and if they can make themselves invincible in their den, they can still nurture the hope of going all the way. The way the team has played under Iyer in the last two matches, rising to the challenge despite being in the cellar, has given a ray of hope to the team think-tank. Nonetheless, the team management does not want to put undue pressure on the young captain and team. Assistant coach James Hopes was candid enough in saying: "Surely we may lose a few games under the young skipper. but we are convinced this is the right way forward for the team."

Stokes, Buttler fail to fire
Their opponents Rajasthan have their own problems, with big guns like Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler having failed to fire. The batting has relied on skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson. The team, as a whole, must get their act together, as having lost four of the seven games, they cannot afford too many reverses. The way paceman Jofra Archer is shaping up is a positive sign, but the others need to rally around him. It's high time mentor Shane Warne ensures that the team's star players make their presence felt. And what better opportunity than to take advantage of a team that is at the bottom. Nonetheless, with both sides desperate for a win, it should be a cracker of a game on a pitch that has the tendency to be slow and low.

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