IPL 2023: Delhi Capitals need senior players to deliver, says AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers (File image)

Delhi Capitals have not come across as a squad which has gelled well together this season, according to South Africa great AB de Villiers, who feels the team's senior players need to step up and put in impactful performances.

The Capitals have made a poor start this year, losing both matches under new captain David Warner.

"It has not been easy for them. It is never easy when you start with an away game and you lose badly like they did. Especially, when you are fielding like they way they did in the first game. It is generally a sign of what the vibe in the squad is like," said de Villiers during a virtual media interaction on Wednesday.

"I know Ricky Ponting pretty well, he would have covered all the bases, you cannot look at the coaching staff; they would not have left a stone unturned. They made some good buys in the auction. It is a solid squad, it is possibly a tournament-winning squad.

"But the IPL is not so simple, you need a very interesting dynamic, people really understanding each other, fantastic team spirit and that shows in the field," he said.

The former South African captain, however, expects the Capitals to bounce back.

"It is no time to panic; they just need to figure out where they are going wrong. They just need better performances basically, it may sound cliched and simple but their main players need to stand up and make it count.

"David Warner leads from the front. He is not going to give up until the tournament is over. So expect a bounce-back from them," he added.

The RCB legend also backed the Faf du Plessis-led side to clinch a maiden IPL trophy this year.

"The Gujarat Titans are a really strong team, and probably the favourites in my opinion to win the tournament. But RCB have had a fantastic start, there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that they can win the tournament.

"It's a long road ahead. There is a lot of things that need to fall in place, but there's no doubt in my mind (that) we (RCB) can win the tournament, and I'm hoping for the best. I don't want to get ahead of myself.

"If we can just get through to the knockouts it's our first goal, then anything can happen in those knockouts. We have the talent in the team, there's no doubt about it," de Villiers added.