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. However, in the IPL 2024, Rishabh Pant returned to the role after recovering from major injuries sustained in a car accident in December 2022. Throughout the season, Rishabh Pant emerged as the team's leading run-scorer, amassing 446 runs. On the bowling front, Mukesh Kumar led with 17 wickets, showcasing his prowess in the attack.

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

Let’s have a look at the squad for the 2025 IPL season

2025 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 2025 IPL season.

Indian: Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Abishek Porel

Overseas: Tristan Stubbs

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.

Rahul delivered a strong performance for the Lucknow Super Giants in the 2024 IPL and will now bring his talent to the Delhi Capitals for the upcoming season. Known for his calm temperament and ability to anchor innings, he will now represent the Delhi Capitals in 2025, where he is expected to provide stability and lead from the front as a senior batsman.

Axar was a standout all-rounder for the Delhi Capitals in 2024, contributing with crucial runs in the middle order and delivering economical spells with the ball. His leadership and composure make him an indispensable player, and in 2025, Axar is expected to continue playing a key role, especially in pressure situations.

Kuldeep was Delhi’s go-to spinner in 2024, taking vital wickets in the middle overs and controlling the flow of runs. With his resurgence in form, expectations are high for him in 2025 to remain a match-winner, especially on turning tracks.

Although Starc did not participate in IPL 2024, his addition to the Delhi Capitals squad for 2025 brings immense excitement. Known for his lethal pace, accuracy, and ability to swing the ball, he is expected to spearhead the Capitals’ bowling attack, providing breakthroughs in the powerplay and at the death.

Faf continued to impress for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2024, leading the side with his batting consistency and captaincy. Now with the Delhi Capitals for 2025, he is expected to bring his wealth of experience and leadership qualities, mentoring the younger players while being a dependable top-order batsman.

The team's 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.

The team coach for the 2025 IPL is Hemang Badani.

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

• Rishabh Pant
• KL Rahul
• Mitchell Starc
• Axar Patel
• Faf du Plessis

While this may not be the most accurate description of the current DC squad, it is imperative to glance at the team's 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.