Decision on Rabada taken by South Africa: Ponting

Delhi Capitals will definitely miss the services of Purple Cap holder Kagiso Rabada going into the business end of the tournament, but head coach Ricky Ponting made it clear that it was a decision that wasnt in the hands of the franchise and one that Cricket South Africa (CSA) took.

"It was a decision that CSA made. KG had complained of a sore lower back. After our last game in Delhi he felt it went a little worse. A massive loss, but one we think we can cover. We have Trent Bolt, who did well last season so he can do the job. Rabada has held the ship up when it came to the death bowling. To have very good death bowlers is important," he said.

Ponting though believes that Boult has the ability to take over from Rabada. "He hasn't played for a little while and he is bound to be a bit rusty. His first two overs were good, it is just that his death overs didn't go well against Chennai," he pointed.

Commenting on the loss against Chennai Super Kings, Ponting said: "It should not be difficult as we played some excellent cricket in the first four or five weeks. Just a bit of a wake-up call. As far as the timing was concerned it was right and you will see the boys bouncing back in the last game."

Delhi might have qualified for the playoffs, but Ponting said finishing in the top two will be on the agenda for DC. "We still have a lot to play for. We need to win this game to qualify in the first or second spot. It will be a relaxed session today, but it will be a good contest and I want to see how the boys bounce back. The boys have done really well," he said.

Ponting also praised skipper Shreyas Iyer who took over mid-season in 2018. "To be honest there has been a lot of changes around DC, but all our job is to make the job of the players easy. It is because of the players that we have won the games that we have. Shreyas has done a terrific job and he is growing as a person. He is much happier talking in front of the boys and he is a happier leader now. He is a more experienced person and that is why he is leading the team as he has," the coach said.

Ponting also said that he had no grievances at the way in which Rishabh Pant has thrown his wicket away at times. "I think if you look closely, a lot of batsmen play shots and you think why he played it. I won't stop him, I will only try to ensure he executes it better. Sometimes they will make mistakes, but I am sure Rishabh will finish well," he said.

--IANS

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