D Sams IPL 2021 stats: Why is Navdeep Saini not playing today’s IPL 2021 match vs Delhi Capitals?

Navdeep Saini not playing: Royal Challengers Bangalore have made a couple of changes to their Playing XI for this match.

During the 22nd match of the ongoing 14th season of the Indian Premier League between Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Ahmedabad, Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant has won the toss and chose to field.

“We will look to bowl first. The wicket looks dry, so we want to bowl before the dew sets in. Nothing much to talk about the previous game. We should have won the game before the Super Over,” Pant told Star Sports at the toss.

Talking about the changes for Capitals, they have made only one change as fast bowler Ishant Sharma will play his first match this season in place of spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Why is Navdeep Saini not playing vs Delhi Capitals?

Much like Pant, Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli revealed that he too wanted to field first because of the dew factor. Coming on the back of a loss against Chennai Super Kings, Bangalore have made a couple of changes to their Playing XI.

“We would have bowled as well. Dew is a big factor here. I think it came as early as the first innings. So we got to set a nice foundation, need to have wickets in hand and go hard. We need to keep that intent going,” Kohli told Star Sports at the toss.

Saini, who had played his first match for RCB this season against CSK, has been benched after leaking 27 runs in his two overs. All-rounder Daniel Christian, who is yet to leave a mark in IPL 2021 despite playing three matches, has also been benched tonight.

Batsman Rajat Patidar, who had registered two single-digit scores earlier this season, has been handed another crucial opportunity at No. 3. Additionally, Royal Challengers have also included all-rounder Daniel Sams for the first time this season. It is worth mentioning that RCB had traded Sams from Capitals before IPL 2021 auction.

In the 12 overs that Sams had bowled for Capitals last season, he hadn’t picked a wicket but given runs at an economy rate of 9.50. Sams, who had made his international debut during the India series after IPL 2020, showed signs of being a genuine all-rounder during Big Bash League 2020-21.

In 10 matches for Sydney Thunder, Sams had picked 11 wickets at an economy and strike rate of 8.51 and 16.7 respectively. In eight innings with the bat in hand, Sams’ 200 runs had come at an average and strike rate of 40 and 188.67 respectively.