IPL 2020: We Have to be Ready For Them Reckons DC Coach Ricky Ponting For IPL Qualifier Against MI

Shreyas Iyer led Delhi Capitals have reached the IPL 2020 playoffs and now they will face defending champions Mumbai Indians in the first qualifying match. Meanwhile, DC coach Ricky Ponting said that, just before the win against RCB, losing in four matches was the most difficult time, but during this time they kept up the morale of the players.

The Delhi team had a good start to the tournament and won seven of their first nine matches. Shreyas Iyer and Co, however, suffered four consecutive defeats after that and the team slipped to third place.

Delhi Capitals, however, made a good comeback and won their last league match against Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets on Monday to ensure their place in the top two in the IPL points table.

“It has been the hardest thing (to have lost four matches). I think, over the last couple of weeks, the key was to make sure that the confidence was still up,” Ponting said.

“Whenever you lose a few games in a row at the back-end of the tournament, it can sometimes be a bit difficult to change the momentum. But, credit to the boys — they were outstanding. You could see different energy around the group that really set the tempo for the whole game,” he added.

On his team’s performance against the Virat Kohli-led Bangalore team, Ponting said, “It wasn’t the perfect game but it was a really good, solid performance that we needed to put up. They are a really good side, and we won with an over to spare, which in T20 cricket is quite a big margin.”

Delhi Capitals will now get two chances to make it to the finals. The team topped the points table in the first qualifier on Thursday and will take on the defending champions Mumbai Indians.

“I am most proud because it was do-or-die, and the boys knew that and they responded in a really positive manner,” said the former Australia captain.

“The way I am looking at it now is that we have done that, and we just have two more games to play, and it will gear ourselves up to try and win the first final, then let’s see how we can go from there.

“So we can look ahead now to MI, who have beaten us twice in this tournament, and make sure we are ready to go for them in a few days,” Ponting said.