Mohammad Kaif confident of Delhi Capitals going 'one step further' in IPL 2021

Delhi Capitals assistant coach Mohammad Kaif reckons that they have got the players who are good enough to win them their maiden IPL title ahead of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League that gets underway on April 9.

The Delhi-based franchise had finished as the runners-up last season, after losing to the defending champions Mumbai Indians who went on to win the IPL trophy for a record fifth time. At the same time, the occasion had also marked Delhi's maiden final appearance in the cash-rich tournament for the first time in 13 years.

'We want to go one step further this year': Mohammad Kaif

"We want to go one step further this year and that's the Delhi Capitals team goal. We have the players to win the title. We were very close last year and the plus point for this season is that most of the players such as Rishabh Pant have been playing a lot of cricket. They have been in touch with the game and therefore they are in good rhythm going into the IPL," said Kaif, in a DC press release.

Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021

The Delhi-based franchise will kickstart their IPL 2021 campaign when they lock horns with the three-time winners Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 10.

DC  will be hoping to go all the way this time around. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant has been named Shreyas Iyer's successor and the franchise had made it official on Tuesday evening after the latter was ruled out of this year's Indian Premier League due to a shoulder injury.

Iyer had injured his shoulder while fielding at cover during the first ODI against England. In a pursuit to save runs for India, Shreyas Iyer dived to stop the ball struck by English opener Jonny Bairstow off pacer Shardul Thakur. Although the middle-order batsman stopped the ball, he landed awkwardly on his shoulder and he seemed to be in deep discomfort as he walked off the field and was sent for an X-ray.