Former India cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has flagged several concerns surrounding Delhi Capitals’ preparations for the upcoming IPL season following their trade for Rishabh Pant from Lucknow Super Giants. While the franchise has strengthened its batting options, Chopra believes uncertainty over the captaincy and questions surrounding the pace-bowling department could pose significant challenges.The biggest question, according to Chopra, is who will lead Delhi. With Pant and KL Rahul among the potential candidates, the franchise still appears to have a decision to make. Chopra also suggested that Axar Patel may not be keen on taking up the leadership role, making Rahul a possible frontrunner.“There are multiple questions, actually. It’s an MCQ because who will be the captain? Rishabh Pant has been a captaincy candidate, KL Rahul is an option, and I’m hearing that Axar doesn’t want to be the captain. So, with everything going on, you don’t even know who will captain the side. It could well be KL Rahul at this stage,” Chopra told JioStar.Chopra also underlined the importance of getting Pant’s batting position right. Having brought the wicketkeeper-batter back through a trade, Delhi must ensure that he gets an opportunity in the top four rather than being pushed down the order. He felt that failing to do so would prevent the franchise from making full use of Pant’s abilities. Chopra also believed Lucknow may have come out better from the exchange, given the quality of bowler they received in Kuldeep Yadav.“And Rishabh Pant, now that you have traded him, must bat in the top four. If you are going to bat him lower than that, then you will not utilise him to his fullest potential. I felt that in that trade, LSG was better off because you couldn’t have asked for more than a bowler of Kuldeep’s calibre for that pitch,” he added.While Delhi have assembled a formidable batting lineup, Chopra feels their bowling resources could be a major area of concern. The uncertainty surrounding Mitchell Starc‘s availability is one of the factors, with the franchise potentially having to reassess its pace-bowling combinations depending on the Australian’s participation.He also questioned the returns expected from Delhi’s more expensive fast-bowling options, pointing out that Mukesh Kumar and Auqib Nabi command substantial investments, while Starc comes at an even higher price. In contrast, Lungi Ngidi proved to be an excellent bargain after being acquired for Rs 2 crore. Chopra also mentioned Dushmantha Chameera and Kyle Jamieson as relatively economical options.“Ashutosh, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, plus Axar Patel, and then you’ve got Miller. So, it’s a very decent setup. The problem area for them will be their bowling department. Because Mitchell Starc, will he play? It will be a conversation as to whether he will be available to play or not. They will face an issue with their fast bowling this season and how they plan to address it, I’ve got no idea.“Mukesh is at eight crore, Auqib Nabi at Rs 8.4 crore, and then you have Mitchell Starc at nearly 12, so that’s a lot of money. Lungi Ngidi was cheap, picked up for Rs 2 crore. He turned out to be a fantastic bargain. Dushmantha Chameera and Kyle Jamieson weren’t as expensive either. But the more expensive players might not be available. Their pedigree and current form are still uncertain, and Mukesh Kumar’s T20 numbers have actually plummeted a little,” Chopra stated.
