Delhi Capitals head scout Vijay Dahiya has been pleased with the performance of his team so far in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League.

On Friday, Delhi moved to the top of the points table after beating Rajasthan Royals by 46 runs. Having been invited to bat first on a high-scoring Sharjah pitch, Delhi Capitals posted 184-8, presumably a below-par score at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. However, the bowlers rose to the occasion and helped the team to bag their fifth victory of the season by a margin of 46 runs.

“It was a team game played by the individuals – you play your role, you play your part or sometimes you do something extraordinary, and this is the whole crux of this team,” said Dahiya.

“This is what team is all about, that’s what our boys are doing. I mean we are not dependent on one person, every game you see a different individual steps up, raises his hand and delivers for the team and that’s what the whole quality of any team,” he added.

According to Dahiya, if the Capitals play to their strengths, they are not only good enough to challenge but also beat any team in the competition.

“We do respect whoever we meet in this tournament, but yes, more and more emphasis is on ourselves, and to just execute whatever we are practising in the nets and planning in our meetings. If we can do that, we will get the desired results,” he said.

Commenting on the demands of playing back-to-back matches, Dahiya said, “I guess there’s no doubt about back-to-back matches proving to be challenging. Barring Dubai, the travel for us is over two hours for each match, and that’s the main challenge you have here. Otherwise, when you are playing back home in India, there’s more air-time, and you end up getting up early and then traveling to another city. So I think it’s comparatively less taxing on your body here, and doesn’t push you to the limits compared to what happens when you play in India.”

“But yes, it is still demanding because we have different grounds, different mindsets, different surfaces and tough conditions. However, I believe our team is up for any kind of challenges thrown at them,” he added.

Talking about his team’s next game against the Mumbai Indians, Dahiya believes, to overcome the challenge, his side will stick to their strengths. “I think it’s going to be a tough game because we are playing back to back matches, and the last two have been the kind of games that have taken a lot out of us. If you look, the numbers don’t really suggest the margin, but it has taken a lot out of the players mentally and physically.”

“Mumbai is a top-class side, there’s no doubt about that. They have won the championship many times, so I’m expecting a good game against them and that’s what you want in this kind of competition – to play against the best,” he added.