Big-hitting Australian Marcus Stoinis was full of praise for Shikhar Dhawan after Delhi made the IPL Final.
The Capitals will look to win their first Indian Premier League title after beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in Eliminator 2.
It means they will go head-to-head with defending champions Mumbai in Dubai on Tuesday.
The clash with SRH saw Stoinis shifted up the order to open alongside Dhawan. He Aussie powerhouse his a 27-ball 38 as Dhawan went on to record a crucial 78.
Stoinis was quick to praise the overall influence that Dhawan has had on Delhi throughout this year’s tournament in the UAE.
He said: “Shikhar's been unbelievable and made some big hundreds. Even in the matches he has missed out, he has timed the ball well. He has really led the way for us this year.
“He’s a leader within the team. He brings in a lot of energy and shares a lot of knowledge. He has really been good to me throughout this campaign. I am really proud of him.
“He has made 600-plus runs this year. Hopefully, he has one big knock in the final left in him.”
Stoinis Had Discussed Opening
Stoinis said the move to replace Prithvi Shaw at the top of the order was something he had previously discussed with head coach Ricky Ponting.
“Ricky had spoken to me a couple of times about the possibilities of opening the batting, he added.
“It just worked out and we thought this was the game to do it. In one of the games, I batted at number three and it didn't come off as we were chasing 220.”
He also enjoyed his best IPL figures with the ball as he bagged 3-26 in his four overs as Sunrisers looked to chase down 190.
“Bowling in this format is always hard and it's more about planning and having a good idea before you get to the ground,” he said.
“Just be clear that in T20, you are not always trying to take wickets but control the run-rate and controlling the game builds some pressure.”
Delhi Ready for Mumbai Challenge
Stonis also underlined that preparations won’t change for Delhi ahead of this week’s Indian Premier League final.
“Preparations will be the same as usual. When big games are coming up, more important to stick to your usual strategies and routines.
“MI are a great team and they have been consistent all season, beaten us thrice.
“We will just bring out our best game of cricket and play our best. I reckon that will be good enough.”
