Brought in as "backup", now labelled as "player for next five years", DC assistant coach hails Stubbs

NEW DELHI: Stubbs, who was brought in as a backup for Harry Brook, has left an everlasting impression on the Capitals ahead of next year's mega auction.

The English batter's withdrawal allowed Stubbs to put his talent on display. His ability to find the fence with technique and precision left the fans on the edge of their seats.

In the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, the young Proteas batter has played influential cameos throughout the season.

His ability to play throughout the ground raised memories for former South African batter AB de Villiers.

In DC's final game of the season, Stubbs, with his explosiveness, turned the game in favour of the hosts. His unbeaten 57-run blitz left LSG bowlers dazed and powered Delhi to an imposing total of 208/4.

"If Harry Brook was there, Stubbs was actually a backup. It was so important that we had to pick a really good backup. We saw the South African League, and he had done really well there. He contributed to the winning team there. He got a triple hundred in first-class cricket, also. What we saw is that he is such a cricketer who can play well against spinners as well. He looks very hungry and composed, also. He is a player for the next five years," Amre said in the post-match press conference.

DC ended their group stage campaign with a 19-run win against LSG, leaving them in fifth place with 14 points. Their chances of making the playoffs hang in balance and would depend on the results of other teams.

But the fortunes are against DC, as their negative net run rate of 0.377 could be the reason for the end of their season.

Amre focused on the positives from the season and the players they were able to groom throughout the season.

"There are many positives this season; Jake (Fraser McGurk) is a player we found, Stubbs is a player we found, (Abhishek) Porel is another; Rasikh has been good in the past four games, he really contributed well," Amre said.

Rasikh Dar Salam, a 24-year-old pacer, has stood out for DC with his consistent performances. In 11 matches, Rasikh has 9 wickets to his name at an economy of 10.43 and a bowling average of 37.67.

Amre hailed the young right-arm quick for the performances for the franchise, especially in the death overs.

"I think as an Indian, bowling in the death is a specialist's job.He has discovered and backed himself really well. In the last four or five games, all Indian bowlers have been doing really well and that is what is important for us as a franchise," Amre added.

While Stubbs made an impact against LSG with the bat, veteran quick Ishant Sharma rattled LSG's top-order in the powerplay. He caught LSG skipper KL Rahul off-guard with an outswinger and managed to deceive Quinton de Kock with a slower one on the stumps. For his third wicket, he trapped Deepak Hooda in front of the stumps with an inswinging delivery.

"He is the guy who has played 100 Test matches; he knows how to bowl on Delhi's wicket. He has contributed a lot this season and I am really happy for him," Amre said.