IPL 2022: Looking forward to the battle against Shimron Hetmyer and R Ashwin, says Axar Patel

Delhi Capitals will be looking to put their best foot forward to stay afloat when they face Rajasthan Royals at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday.
The covid-19 hit Capitals has bounced back in some style as they thrashed Punjab Kings nine wickets. They will be up against the current ‘Orange Cap’ holder Jos Buttler (375 runs) and ‘Purple Cap’ holder Yuzvendra Chahal (17 wickets). The Royals are a team that is looking pretty formidable at the moment.

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The Capitals will be up against familiar faces such as destructive middle-order batter Shimron Hetmyer and veteran spinner R Ashwin, who were part of the Delhi team till last year.
Delhi Capitals all-rounder Axar Patel is looking forward to the battle against Shimron Hetmyer and R Ashwin.
“Shimron Hetmyer and R Ashwin know our tactics, and we also have a clue about their strengths and weaknesses. This will be an interesting battle; I am looking forward to it,” says Axar Patel in a video posted Delhi Capitals.

“In IPL, we are used to this. You will always come up against someone with whom you have played in the different teams. But if my former teammate hits me for a boundary, I will go all out against him. When you are on the ground, the friendships stay outside of the park. We all play to win games for our team,” he added.
The game against Rajasthan will be played against the backdrop of a Covid outbreak in Delhi’s camp. Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting won’t be travelling with the team to the Wankhede stadium as he was isolated from the rest of the squad after one of his family members, staying with him at the team hotel, tested positive.

But Delhi can take a lot of confidence from their thumping win over Punjab Kings.
“You don’t play these kinds of matches everyday, where you are dominating the opposition from the ball 1. We dominated in all the three departments. After all the odds were against us, the way we played was quite magnificent. Morale has been really high after the victory. But we need to keep our heads down and stay in the present,” says Patel.
“Expectations will be high from us after our last win. We need to keep ourselves focused. To repeat that kind of performance is challenging, but we have to play with the same mindset.
“Rajasthan’s bowling attack is also good. They are a dangerous side, but we are not bothered about it; we should stay focused on our game plans,” he said.