New Delhi Tigers made a blistering start in the Delhi Premier League, scoring a mammoth 222/7 courtesy of captain Himmat Singh’s 69 off 39 balls and Shivam Gupta’s 89 off 53 deliveries. Both batters took on the threats of pace and spin with authority, reflecting their high-intent approach against different bowling types. The team had tried to reshape its identity around aggressive batting, while banking on the pace and experience of Prince Yadav – who hits the bat hard and Pankaj Jaiswal.
But after their opening-day victory, things have not been the same. The New Delhi Tigers have gone on to lose five of their last six games. The captain of the side, Himmat Singh, addressed the media in a press conference, sharing his thoughts on the team’s campaign and their current mindset.
Positives for this match and the season:
Himmat Singh: If we are not winning the games, I don’t see any positives. If the performance of someone is not winning the game for us, but cameos of 20 or 30 runs are winning the game for my side, they are performers and those are positives for my side. If someone scores 100 and we don’t win, it serves no purpose. This is my thinking.
What Went Wrong This Season and What Is his role as a Senior to surge a comeback?
Himmat Singh: I’m thinking of different ways to motivate the team. I’m trying to motivate my side as much as I can, but the players on the field have to execute the plans. Otherwise, there is no point in the drawing board if we do not execute our plans on the ground. Imagine, if you study and know everything, but forget it all on the day of the exam—that serves no purpose.
I admit my mistakes. When teammates have committed a mistake, maybe I have not scolded my team enough or properly communicated with them. I told them it’s okay to make mistakes, and that we could rectify them in the next game, but we could not. Even today, I calmly communicated with my teammates, moving forward, as a leader, “I will do whatever seems right given the situation in front of me” and for best interest of the team.
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