Updated April 29th, 2021 at 21:01 IST
Why is Anrich Nortje not playing tonight? DC fans FURIOUS at Ricky Ponting for dodgy pick
Delhi Capitals team management's decision to play Steve Smith despite poor form has made fans wonder, "Why is Anrich Nortje not playing tonight?"
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The Match 25 of IPL 2021 between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is currently underway at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Having won the toss, Rishabh Pant invited KKR to bat first. Delhi Capitals made one change to their playing XI from the last game as they brought in Lalit Yadav in place of Amit Mishra who picked a shoulder injury.
Why is Anrich Nortje not playing tonight?
Ahead of the game, fans were expecting that DC would draft Anrich Nortje in their playing XI in place of Steve Smith who hasn't found his rhythm yet. However, DC team management chose to go ahead with Smith. This has made fans wonder, "Why is Anrich Nortje not playing tonight?"
Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting might be compelled to play Smith because of Shreyas Iyer's absence who used to bat at No. 3 for them. Smith is a like-for-like replacement for Iyer who can hold the innings from one end in case their openers Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan fail to fire. The Australian can anchor the innings from one end and he also has the ability to keep the scoreboard ticking.
However, fans were unhappy with Ricky Ponting's decision to persist with Steve Smith and not give Anrich Nortje, who has been in brilliant form recently, a chance in the playing XI. Several reactions poured in on Twitter as netizens slammed the DC management for leaving the South African speedster out. Here's a look at a few reactions.
What about their batting picks? Smith is not an ideal T20 player & neither is Jinx. Good that Hetmeyer came good in d last match. Almost halfway through d season & Stoinis hasn’t done anything but keeps on playing. Probably d only team this season with too many underperformers.
— I Love Mithunda (@ilovemithunda)
They are not picking Nortje because there is no reliable Indian batsman to replace Steve Smith in the team... But they should bring Nortje atleast for the second half of the tournament
— Rohit (@Ro__183)
Yes but not sure why they are playing Steve Smith he does not add any value to the team.. Jinx should have been there I guess his selection is favoured by @RickyPonting
— Abbaba (@dheebhi)
Nortje should force DC to send him to RR...He is being wasted in that Bench ...
— just_b_positive (@just99920725)
Steve Smith IPL 2021
The Steve Smith IPL 2021 campaign hasn't kicked off in the most desired way. In five matches so far, Smith has scored just 80 runs at a dismal average of 26.66 and a modest strike rate of 112.67. However, the DC management has shown faith in the Australian veteran. Smith will look to justify the franchise's belief by putting in a much-improved performance against KKR.
DC vs KKR live telecast and live streaming details
For the DC vs KKR live telecast in India, fans can tune into the Star Sports Network. For DC vs KKR live scores, one can visit the official website and social media pages of the league. Furthermore, one can also visit the official websites and social media pages of the respective teams. The DC vs KKR live stream in India will be available for fans on the Disney+ Hotstar app.
SOURCE: IPLT20.COM
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Published April 29th, 2021 at 20:58 IST