IPL 2021: Delhi Capitals recruits M Siddharth, Ripal Patel looking forward to playing under Shreyas Iyer, Ricky Ponting

Delhi Capitals’ latest recruits Manimaran Siddharth and Ripal Patel are looking forward to playing under captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting ahead of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Siddharth and Ripal were among the eight players picked up by the Capitals in the Player Auction that took place in Chennai on 18 February. Both players were bought at their base prices of Rs 20 lakh. “The Delhi Capitals has been a really good team. DC were the runners-up last season. Most of the players in the squad play for their respective international teams. I think it’ll be a very good opportunity for me to learn from great players and I am really eager to play under Shreyas Iyer and Coach Ricky Ponting,” said Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner Siddharth, whose father Manimaran represented Indonesia in cricket, in an official release from the Delhi-based franchise. [caption id=“attachment_9414421” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  File image of Tamil Nadu spinner Manimaran Siddharth. Image credit: Twitter/@BCCIdomestic[/caption] “I was expecting to be picked in the IPL Auction, but I was really nervous, so I didn’t watch it. A couple of players told me after my Vijay Hazare match that day that DC had picked me, and I was elated,” added Siddharth. Meanwhile Gujarat batsman Ripal credited state teammate and India spinner Axar Patel for supporting him in his journey and for having a major impact in his career so far. “I didn’t do very well in the 2019 Vijay Hazare trophy, and was disappointed. I spent the next year working hard on my game, and Axar bhai was always around to encourage me, helping me with my game and workouts. It helped me gain confidence, and form just in time for the 2021 domestic season. I am grateful to Axar bhai for his unending support, he was delighted to know that DC had picked me up,” said Ripal. The upcoming edition of the IPL is scheduled to begin on 9 April, with the final scheduled to take place on 30 May. Delhi, is among the venues shortlisted by the BCCI for this year’s edition as the league returns home after having shifted to the UAE last year. Delhi Capitals enjoyed their most successful run in the 2020 edition of the cash-rich league as they qualified for the final for the first time since the creation of the league in 2008. The Capitals, however, were trounced in the final by a dominant Mumbai Indians, who lifted the trophy for the fifth time as a result.