Dubai, Sep 16 (IANS): Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting expressed happiness over joining the team in Dubai ahead of the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 starting from September 19. Ponting added that the players have shown great intensity during the pre-season camp.

"I have been waiting for four months to come back to the Delhi Capitals camp. I have such a great time when I work with the team and it's a great time in my calendar year. I have been keeping a close eye on what's been happening here. I have been speaking to the coaching staff here and they have done a great job so far (in the pre-season camp). You can see with the intensity and the attitude shown by the players that it's been a really worthwhile camp so far. I am really excited about what we've got coming up in the next four-five weeks," said Ponting in a release issued by the franchise on Thursday.

The 46-year-old was of the opinion that the team's performance in the first half of the IPL 2021 season doesn't matter and they will have to re-build once again. "It doesn't matter what we've done in the first half of the season. It's been four months since when we played some really good cricket, so we really have to start again. We have to build ourselves as we go along in the tournament and make sure that we are playing our best cricket at the back end of the tournament. Our performance in the first half of the tournament was because of how well we played and how hard we worked, but I don't think we played our best cricket."

Asked about the return of Shreyas Iyer to the side post recovery from shoulder injury and surgery, Ponting was affirmative. "It's great to have Shreyas back. He has got an infectious attitude. I have been talking to him a lot and his training has been great. He's so keen to get back into the field, score runs and win. He's a world-class player and he's going to add a lot to our team, there's no doubt about that."

Delhi Capitals are on top of the points table with 12 points from eight matches. They will begin their second half of the IPL 2021 campaign against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22 in Dubai.