IPL Team Delhi Capitals

One of the eight teams featured in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (“IPL”), the Delhi Capitals has had relatively little success. Going beyond the league stage was unchartered territory until 2019. Representing Delhi in the IPL, the franchise recorded their first IPL finals appearance in 2020 under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer but failed to go to the promised land and ended up being runners-up. However, these moves did pay dividends. After having a taste of what it feels like to be so close to the silverware, the Delhi Capitals Squad had retained 18 players who were a part of the team’s finals run.

The IPL Delhi Captain and India’s dynamic hitter, Rishabh Pant, led the squad to the odds of a 75% win in the past IPL seasons. In the IPL 2023 season, David Warner took on the role of captain for the Delhi Capitals. Despite facing criticism for his strike rate, Warner displayed consistent performance with the bat. Scoring his third half-century of the season against Mumbai Indians, Warner showcased his ability as a top-order batsman. However, Rishabh Pant is to make a comeback for DC in IPL 2024. Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly informed that Rishabh Pant is in good form and is slated to return to action in IPL 2024.

GMR Sports Pvt. Ltd. & JSW Sports Pvt. Ltd. are joint owners of the franchise.

Let’s have a look at the squad of the 2024 IPL season-

2024 Season: Time for Capitals to finally bring the trophy to the capital? A lot was expected of the Delhi Capitals after back-to-back dominant performances in the past few IPL seasons.

Let’s look at the players the Delhi Capitals retained for the 2024 IPL season.

Indian: Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Prithvi Shaw, Khaleel Ahmed, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dhull, Vicky Ostwal, Abishek Porel.

Overseas: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi.

Now that we know that DC has spent heavy bucks hoping to replicate and continue their dominant run in the IPL, let us now look at the common deciding parameter behind bringing these players back and what each of these core 4 brings to the table.

The dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman, Rishabh Pant was among the trio of players Delhi retained before the 2018 auction. He justified their decision with an impressive season, accumulating nearly 700 runs. Despite narrowly missing out on the IPL Orange Cap, Pant's batting prowess shone brightly for the Delhi Capitals, leading to his retention for the subsequent two seasons, including IPL 2020. Appointed as DC's skipper ahead of IPL 2021 and retained for TATA IPL 2022, Pant boasts a commendable IPL record with close to 2500 runs and 15 half-centuries. With a recent string of stellar performances in international cricket, Pant enters the upcoming tournament in optimistic form, eager to deliver another impactful season for Delhi Capitals. Rishabh Pant is set to play in IPL 2024 after being sidelined for almost a year due to a car crash. Ricky Ponting, the Delhi Capitals coach, mentioned that Pant is very confident about playing the entire IPL 2024, although Ponting himself expressed uncertainty about it.

A batsman from the Bombay school of cricket, Prithvi Shaw has shown the ability to perform in crucial games. Captain of India’s Under-19 World Cup winning team, Prithvi was retained by Delhi Capitals -in IPL 2020 - 2021 and the Delhi franchise stuck with him and retained him ahead of the TATA IPL 2024 auction. The opener has made waves in the domestic circuit and remains one of the most exciting batters to witness when in full flow and DC will want him to take the oppositions by storm during the upcoming IPL season. Prithvi Shaw remains with the Delhi Capitals for IPL 2024. Despite recovering from a knee injury, his retention suggests the franchise's commitment to his rehabilitation and potential performance in the upcoming IPL season.

Following the retaining pattern, Axar Patel has been a part of the team since 2020 and knows how to get to the coveted IPL final. - What makes Patel all the more valuable is the ability to contribute with the bat. Axar Patel has played 136 matches in his IPL career and has scored 1418 runs, with an average of 20.55. He has 1 half century, with his highest IPL score being 54 runs. Axar Patel has hit 88 fours and 69 sixes in his IPL career.Axar Patel continues his stint with the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024. He's known for his accuracy as a left-arm spinner, capable of bowling in any match phase and contributing with crucial cameos with the bat. After being bought by Delhi Capitals in 2019, he remains an integral part of their squad.

Nortje, who was with the team throughout its golden period from the 2020 and 2023 seasons, has bagged a total of 53 wickets in the 40 matches he has played. This means at least one wicket is guaranteed to be struck by the South African speedster every time he steps on the pitch. Nortje is known for his fast-paced bowling and his ability to take crucial wickets. His presence in the Delhi Capitals' fast-bowling lineup adds depth to the team and makes them a strong contender in the IPL 2024 tournament.

The teams’ home ground is the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

The franchise has had a rich history of coaches and captains. In the 2009 season, feisty Indian opener Gautam Gambhir was given charge of the team. In 2012, the prolific Virender Sehwag led the team and was replaced by none other than the spectacular Sri Lankan, Mahela Jayawardene. The 2016 season saw Indian pacer Zahir Khan as the player in command. After a franchise-best finals’ appearance in the 2020 season, the team was dealt a blow, injuring the captain, Shreyas Iyer. The dynamic Rishabh Pant stepped up and did a great job. Pant led the team to the best points tally in the IPL. However, in response to Rishabh Pant's unfortunate injury during the Indian Premier League 2023 season, David Warner took over the captaincy role for the Delhi Capitals. Stepping into a leadership position, Warner aimed to guide the team through the challenges posed by Pant's absence.

DC has not been complacent when it comes to coaches, with former and world-cup-winning head coach Gary Kirsten being in charge of the team. Rahul Dravid, the Wall, was also at the helm in the franchise but had to step down as he prioritised coaching the Indian national team. The world-dominating, former Aussie Skipper Ricky Ponting filled his shoes instead. Ricky built the new DC squad and was a part of the team in their prime 2020 and 2021 IPL seasons. Ricky Ponting will coach Delhi Capitals in Tata IPL 2024.

Top Fantasy Players (As per IPL Fantasy League) for DC:

• Rishabh Pant
• Prithvi Shaw
• Kuldeep Yadav
• David Warner
• Lungi Ngidi

While this may not be the most accurate description of the current DC squad, it is imperative to glance at the teams’ history. Let’s see what DC’s track record in the IPL has been.

The Delhi Capitals (DC) have exhibited varying performances in past IPL seasons, with notable achievements such as finishing in 3rd place in 2012, and 2019 and being the runners-up in the 2020 IPL season. Their rankings have seen fluctuations, showcasing both challenges and successes throughout the tournament's history.