Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
Star Australian batter Steve Smith, who has already joined the Delhi Capitals camp in Dubai, feels that his team can perform even better in the second half of IPL 2021. The Capitals are currently at the top of the points table with 12 points, stitching six wins in eight matches. Smith highlighted the importance of picking up from where the team left after an abrupt end to the first half of the tournament in May.
"We have to pick up from where we left off. We were playing some really good cricket, getting the results we were after. And I think we can do even better so we should be playing our best cricket in the back end of the tournament. You have to play well enough to get to the final, but hopefully, we can play our best cricket in the final," said Smith in a Delhi Capitals release.
The former Aussie captain further said that the team will have to build itself again for the second phase of the competition.
We have Shreyas Iyer back in the side as well: Smith
"It's been a few months since we have played together so we have to build again. We have a great squad and we have Shreyas Iyer back in the side as well, which adds a lot more to us. He's a quality player and good to see him back out in the park," said Smith.
The right-handed batter then reflected on how fortunate he has been to play the sport during the tough times of COVID-19.
"It's been a very unique time in the world in the last 18 months. We've all had to work together to try and get through this and we have to continue to get through the situation," said Smith.
Delhi Capitals will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22 in their first match of the second leg of the competition. While the tournament was originally scheduled to end in May itself, several COVID-19 cases inside the bio-secure bubbles of franchises forced the postponement of the tournament. The COVID crisis also forced it to be relocated to UAE and is resuming on September 19 with Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings.