Win against Punjab much-needed; will lift team's confidence: Lalit Yadav

MUMBAI: With a nine-wicket thrashing of Punjab Kings at the Brabourne Stadium amidst Covid-19 concerns in the camp, Delhi Capitals' all-rounder Lalit Yadav believes that Wednesday's win will lift the confidence of the side for the rest of IPL 2022 campaign. Until the match against Punjab, Delhi had an inconsistent time in the tournament, winning two and losing three matches. There was a feeling of 'yes or no' for the match to happen when wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday morning.

But with team returning negative Covid-19 results, the match happened and everything from the toss to hitting the winning run fell in DC's favour, propelling them to move to sixth place in points table.

Every bowler, barring Shardul Thakur and Mustafizur Rahman (one scalp), took two wickets each to bowl out Punjab for just 115. With the bat, David Warner and Prithvi Shaw joined forces for a whirlwind 83-run opening partnership to seal the chase in a resilient Delhi's favour.

"This win (against Punjab) is really important from a momentum point of view. We were looking for a momentum since the start, we've played good cricket so far but we were not consistent. In this game, we were consistent in all three departments, and that's what we were looking for. This was a much-needed win, it will lift the team's confidence going ahead. And, it has created a good atmosphere in the camp," said Lalit in a release by the franchise on Thursday.

Lalit, who registered impressive bowling figures of 2/11 in two overs in a night where spinners made merry, threw light on how Delhi dealt with feeling of uncertainties in the build up to the match against Punjab.

"We just discussed to enjoy the game and give our 100%. We were just focusing on the match. We also had one training session the other day, so it's not that we didn't have any practice at all. It's just that we didn't know whether the match will happen or not, but overall, we were confident about our abilities."

Delhi's next match will now be against inaugural IPL winners Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday. Lalit opined that when the team wins, it creates an environment of optimism apart from gain in momentum.

"It was a different vibe altogether. You know, when we win, everything seems to look positive, no matter how many mistakes we commit. That's a really great thing for the team, especially when the next match is in two days. The momentum we've gained is really important, and we will go into the next game with confidence."

Lalit signed off by saying that Delhi will focus on their own game against the Sanju Samson-led side. "They have been one of the most consistent teams in the tournament so far, and have been playing quality cricket. However, we will focus on ourselves, we will go with our plans and try to execute them." IANS

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