Where they concluded this cycle: 5th in 2022, 9th in 2023, and 5th in 2024
Season summary: A season lacking in drive.
The Delhi Capitals never really found their groove, winning only two games in a row at most, and part of that was due to their pace attack not working as it should have. The fact that Anrich Nortje wasn’t the force that was expected to be an overseas pace bowling enforcer and that Ishant Sharma was injured and had to miss a portion of the season recovering didn’t help either. Because of this, a batting group that improved with each game had to rely largely on Mukesh Kumar and Khaleel Ahmed, but ultimately it wasn’t nearly enough.
Instagram Moment: Rishabh Pant’s maiden half-century since his return, followed by vociferous “Dhoni! Dhoni!” cries from a loyal CSK fan base in Vizag as they said farewell to another wicket keeper. Pant has been familiar with this soundtrack throughout his career, and he would have particularly liked singing along to the songs.
Jake Fraser-McGurk is the season’s best player.
He may own the fastest List. Despite having a hundred against his name, not many anticipated that he would be able to handle the strain of the IPL, with its packed houses and handsome salaries. However, the 22-year-old adapted to the event like a duck to water, amassing 330 runs at a strike-rate of 234 in 9 matches, including four half-centuries. Additionally, he made IPL history by being the first player to score three half-centuries in 20 balls or fewer.
Game most remembered: against the Mumbai Indians.
Thanks to brilliant hits from Fraser-McGurk, Shai Hope, and Tristan Stubbs, DC amassed 257/4. Later that night, they appeared overwhelming favorites after dismissing Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav inside the PowerPlay. However, in the match that ultimately defined their season, the bowlers fought valiantly to protect the goal even from that vantage point, ultimately managing to steal a 10-run victory in a thrilling last over.
Jake Fraser-McGurk and Abishek Porel at the top of the order was a successful move.
Porel was brought into the side as a backup Indian wicket-keeping option and began the season as a middle-order Impact Player before his skills propelled him up the order and into an opener by the end of the season, while Fraser-McGurk was not even picked at the auction and arrived late to replace Lungi Ngidi.
The much-discussed opening duo of David Warner and Prithvi Shaw was a miscalculation.
Warner’s season was unremarkable by his standards; he scored just 168 runs in 8 games, with his mid-season finger injury undoubtedly having a negative impact. After being selected three games into the season, Shaw had an instant effect. However, he was unable to maintain his form and was subsequently cut by the end of the campaign.
This cycle’s star is Kuldeep Yadav.
After spending six seasons with the Kolkata Knight Riders, the last one fully on the bench, he was selected by DC prior to the 2022 edition. The shift in the ecology together with a few technical adjustments produced results right away. In the 2022 Indian Premier League, the left-arm legspinner recorded his most successful season to date, taking 21 wickets at an average of 19.95 and an economy rate of 8.44. Due to the Impact Player rule, he went on to take 10 wickets in the following season and 16 in this one, both of which occurred during exceptionally high-scoring seasons.
Before the next cycle*, if they can hold onto only three players…
Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, and Rishabh Pant
- The IPL GC has not yet finalized the retention/RTM regulations prior to the big auction. This scenario is merely hypothetical.
