"They don’t tolerate a lack of results for too long" - Adam Gilchrist's massive warning to DC star ahead of IPL 2025

Former Australia wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist has urged explosive opener Jake Fraser-McGurk to make his chances count during the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). The youngster is headed into the season on the back of some poor showings, following a lackluster Big Bash League (BBL) 2024-25 campaign for the Melbourne Renegades and a dismal Sri Lanka tour.

Jake Fraser-McGurk was released by the Delhi Capitals (DC) after the 2024 IPL season, but was re-acquired after the franchise used their Right-to-Match (RTM) card on him. The explosive opening batter showed glimpses of promise in his maiden IPL campaign, scoring 330 runs at an insane strike rate of 234.04.

The youngster has been accused of throwing away his wicket courtesy of his high-risk approach. He averages only 14.00 and 16.14 in ODIs and T20Is respectively so far, which has set him back a bit amid competition for the opening slot alongside David Warner.

Gilchrist opined that although Fraser-McGurk's explosive batting brings a lot of value to the team, they will be ruthless enough to drop him if he produces a poor string of scores.

“(Delhi) have shown great faith in keeping him at the franchise. It’s important he starts well. What I do know of the IPL typically is that franchises and owners and coaches, they don’t tolerate a lack of results for too long. If you start a tournament well, that buys you time to get deeper into it and feel comfortable, but Jake’s aware that he’ll need to fire from the start to make sure he can establish a strong tournament for himself and for his team," Gilchrist told FoxSports.

The Australian opener initially came in as a replacement for the injured Lungi Ngidi midway through the 2024 season. He came in and made an impression straightaway with a match-winning fifty against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Stadium.

"Just fingers crossed he can play long innings" - Adam Gilchrist hopes Fraser-McGurk converts his starts

The longest that Jake Fraser-McGurk has batted in a single IPL innings is 35 deliveries, which came during his debut. Since then, he has played over 20 deliveries on only one occasion and has been dismissed inside the first 10 balls four times.

Gilchrist feels that Fraser-McGurk should make the most of the flat surface at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the home of the Capitals.

“The wicket that he batted on was extraordinarily high-scoring last year. All the offerings will be there. It’s up to him now to keep a level head on those opportunities. I think he’s as level-headed as anyone, but just keep a balance to execute his skills really well without getting too far ahead of himself. Like everyone, I’m always excited watching him play, just fingers crossed he can play long innings," Gilchrist said.

The Delhi Capitals (DC) will kickstart their campaign against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Vishakapatnam on Monday, March 24.