Delhi Capitals' performance in the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been disappointing so far. With just two wins out of eight matches, the team led by David Warner is currently at the bottom of the points table, and their chances of reaching the playoffs appear to be slim. Although there are several factors behind Delhi's lackluster show in the 16th edition of the tournament, many have pointed to the team's captaincy and Warner's batting as the most significant contributors to their struggles.
Warner's leadership under question
Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has been particularly critical of Warner's leadership and performance. He has placed the entire blame for DC's poor form this season on the Australian batter, launching a scathing attack on him. Harbhajan's comments came after Delhi's recent defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad by nine runs. In a video posted on his YouTube channel, he went as far as to say that if Warner had played 50 balls in that match, DC would have lost by 50 runs, as all of them would have been wasted.
"Even now, when he comes to presentations, he says about other players' mistakes. But what have you done? You didn't show any intent; you scored 300+ runs but look at your strike rate. Warner hasn't really done justice to his stature this year. His 300 runs are of no use to DC. Warner needs to look in the mirror if he wants to find a reason for DC being at the bottom," Harbhajan went on to say.
Mediocre strike-rate
Despite being one of the highest-scoring batsmen of the season, having accumulated 306 runs in eight matches at an average of 38.5, David Warner's strike rate has come under criticism from Harbhajan Singh. The former Indian cricketer has pointed out that Warner's strike rate stands at a relatively low 118.60, which has raised questions about the Australian's approach at the crease. Despite his impressive run-scoring, Warner's slow strike rate has been cited as a reason for Delhi Capitals' poor performance this season.
Despite his harsh criticism, Harbhajan believes that it is unlikely that Delhi Capitals will be able to turn their fortunes around at this point in the tournament. With the team struggling to find their rhythm, they will need to make significant changes to their approach if they hope to have any chance of making it to the playoffs.
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