LSG vs DC, IPL 2022: Delhi Capitals' David Warner and Anrich Nortje are match winners, says Graeme Smith
India Today
IPL 2022, LSG vs DC: Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith believes that having ‘match-winners’ David Warner and Anrich Nortje in the playing eleven of Delhi Capitals will ensure the duo can win the matches single-handedly.
IPL 2008 champion and former South Africa captain Graeme Smith said David Warner and Anrich Nortje are match-winners in their own right and having them in the playing XI will help Delhi Capitals as they can win the matches single-handedly.
Warner and Nortje missed the first two matches of Delhi for varying reasons. But they are now available for selection when Delhi face Lucknow Super Giants at the DY Patil Stadium later on Thursday.
"If you have got Warner and Nortje fit and ready to go, you simply pick them. It’s a no-brainer. They are match-winners and could win you games single-handedly. It will add impactful players to your line-up and that in T20s is hugely important," Smith was quoted as saying by cricket.com.
Warner will be playing his first match for Delhi this season, especially after starting his IPL journey with them from 2009 till 2013. Warner then went on to be a success for Sunrisers Hyderabad, leading them to the trophy in 2016 as well as smashing runs at will. But a rough run in the last two seasons meant Warner wasn’t retained by Hyderabad and in a mega auction, Delhi picked him up.
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Smith, who won the inaugural edition of the IPL with Rajasthan Royals in 2008, feels that Warner coming in will take huge pressure off Shaw and captain Rishabh Pant in the batting order. “We know Warner is not the easiest character but if you can get him in the right frame of mind and keep him motivated, I think he could be a huge asset. We saw that in SRH. He led them from the front and then things kind of wobbled and fell apart.
"(Ricky) Ponting will know him well and how to get the best out of him. He will have a very clear mindset of how to use Warner. We saw him in the World Cup and he still has got a lot of ability. He is destructive and him and Prithvi Shaw up the order could take a lot of pressure off Pant."
