IPL 2020 final | Capitals’ best still to come, says Ponting

Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting has warned Mumbai Indians not to take his side lightly in Tuesday’s IPL final, saying its best is still to come.

“Looking back now we are happy, it’s been a good season but we are here to win the IPL and we will give it our best shot,” said Ponting on Monday.Didn’t matter that we lost games. Each team won a couple, lost a couple but all of our losses came in a group and it was hard to change the momentum, but the boys did it and we find ourselves in the final and I think our best cricket is yet to come.”

The former Australia captain, who has featured in many big finals during his glorious career as a player, said the way DC played they deserve to be in the title clash this season.

“It’s not an easy thing to make it to the IPL final. There are a lot of guys who never made one. Thankfully, I have coached one before and I was a part of another team as captain, so I know what it’s like to be,” he said.

“Probably, the most important thing in big games like this is not to try hard, it’s just another game.

“We need to enjoy that, try to embrace the extra nerves that come with the final. All we have is given ourselves the right to play in the final, and now got to go and win that final.”

Ponting said DC have the firepower to dash MI’s hopes of a fifth IPL title.

“Things will be pretty much the same. We have got enough firepower. If Mumbai would be sitting back and thinking if there is a team they wouldn’t like to play, it is us. It’s about us, how we turn up and play,” he said.

“We have been long away from the best we have played against Mumbai so far. We will try and address some of the areas that we haven’t played against Mumbai in the past — power play batting, death bowling are some.

“So if we rectify those things and play somewhere near our best, then we can…”

Ponting reserved special praise for Marcus Stoinis and the in-form Shikhar Dhawan.

“Marcus has been dying for opportunity to bat further up the order but our team balance didn’t allow it in the first part of the tournament. With Prithvi and Jinx (Ajinkya Rahane) both being there, it was difficult to give Stoinis opportunity up the order,” he said.

“But every time he got the opportunity he played really well. He is a vastly improved player than what he was 12 months ago. He was craving for that opportunity.

“Shikhar is probably having his best season and that’s really very good signs for us. We still didn’t have got the best out of Rishabh, so if he happens to fire in the final and then we are capable of making a really big score,” he added.

MI captain Rohit Sharma hoped that Trent Boult would be available for the big clash. “Trent looks pretty good. He pulled up pretty well in the last few days, so fingers crossed and hopefully he plays,” said Rohit.

Boult, the highest wicket-taker in the PowerPlay overs in this edition, appeared to have hurt his groin during the First Qualifier and bowled just two overs against Capitals.

“We always wanted somebody who can bowl with the new ball and get those wickets for us in the PowerPlay. When it comes to swinging the ball back into the batsman, and taking the ball away from a left-hander, he is the best in the business,” Rohit said.

“We always wanted him in the squad and luckily for us we got him traded from Delhi. He has not disappointed and has done the job for us with the new ball. He has also bowled pretty well in the middle and at the back-end a few times.

“He is a great asset to have in the squad and I just hope he can do it one more time for us.”

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