DC have been inconsistent in this season’s IPL, winning five and losing six of their last 11 games.
While winning their final three games is crucial for Washington, even then they can only score 16 points, which may not be enough to secure a spot in the Final Four.
Apart from KKR (16 points from 11 games) and RR (16 points from 10 games), there are at least 3 teams: Chennai Super Kings (12 points from 11 games), Sunrisers Hyderabad (12 points from 10 games) and Lucknow Super Giants (12 points from 11 games) – May cross the 16-point mark.
“Our last game against Kolkata was not the best one but we are back at home now. We have won two of the three games here,” Ponting said on the eve of the match against Rajasthan Royals said.
“We know we are going to face a very good Rajasthan team, but as we have seen so far in the tournament, if we can play our best cricket in the 40 overs, Then I guarantee we’re going to be hard to beat no matter who we play, or where we play, we know we can beat anyone.
“We’re keeping a close eye on things. We find ourselves in a situation where we’ll probably have to win our last three games to advance. We’ve started slow but are really proud of the way the kids have performed over the last 6-7 games, “He added.
Ponting also clarifies the issue of veteran pacer Ishant Sharma and David Warner’s health, confirming the former’s suitability for Tuesday’s selection.
“They all trained yesterday. In fact, Ishant trained three out of the last five days. He may not bowl today. We are very happy with his bowling performance in the last few days. Now, he is fit for selection, ” said the Australian legend.
“David Warner has had a few days off. He also batted in the nets for about 20 minutes yesterday. He will take the final step today. He is not fit yet but from what I saw yesterday, He has made a full recovery.
Ponting feels the pitch will be slower on Tuesday.
“Tomorrow, we will continue with the wicket we used. It was the wicket we used against Sunrisers and it was a high-scoring game. We expect the game tomorrow might be a little slower. It might be Give a little more to the spinners,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals fast bowling coach Shane Bond Sanzhou Samsonof leadership and his performance with the bat in the ongoing edition.
“I was really impressed when I first joined the team. It was great, he (Samson) is a fun guy. I think what he’s learned over the years is to manage his time, manage his energy.
“The IPL is a physically demanding game, especially from the back, and it’s exciting to see his leadership. He’s bowling beautifully and I’m happy he’s been named in the T20 World Cup squad,” the former New Zealand pacer The reporter said.
RR have been in fine form in the ongoing IPL, winning 8 out of 10 matches so far and sitting second on the points table.
“We only lost two games in the tournament, so we knew we were a tough team to beat. That’s a credit to the kids, they performed well throughout the tournament,” Bond said.
(Inputs from PTI)
