Can Delhi Capitals reverse their fortunes after the name-change?
Just before the IPL 2019 player auction, Delhi franchise decided to do away with its ‘Daredevil’ imagery. The team will now be known as ‘Delhi Capitals.’ The new-look IPL team will be headed by Shreyas Iyer who was installed as the captain midway through the IPL 2018. Even with Iyer, Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant’s pyrotechnics, Delhi finished last in the league stage.
Delhi Capitals remains the lone team to not appear in any IPL final despite featuring in all seasons. Other than their two semi-final appearances in the first two editions, their only success was reaching playoffs in IPL 2012. This year with a team full of youngsters, Delhi Capitals will hope that the aggressive brand of cricket can take them to the top of the table.
With Shreyas Iyer at the helm of affairs, Delhi Capitals decided to retain 14 of its players leading into the IPL auction. They subsequently added the likes of Sherfane Rutherford, Colin Ingram, Axar Patel and Ishant Sharma to strengthen their ferocious lineup. Delhi’s own opener Shikhar Dhawan also joined the roster as part of a trade with Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Strengths:
Delhi Capitals boast of an exuberant batting unit. The power-packed team has to look no further than its own captain, Shreyas Iyer, for inspiration. The 24-year old is belting runs in domestic cricket at a frantic pace. In Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, they have the most exciting opening pair in the tournament. Rishabh Pant enjoyed a stellar outing in the IPL 2018 where he accumulated 684 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 174. The likes of Colin Ingram, Colin Munro and Hanuma Vihari will add stability to the lineup.
Amit Mishra, the second-highest wicket-taker in IPL history, will lead Delhi Capitals’ spin attack. He will pair up with Nepal’s spin sensation Sandeep Lamichhane. Chris Morris and Axar Patel will enrich the all-round resources. Both have a wealth of experience in T20 cricket.
Weaknesses:
Trent Boult and Kagiso Rabada will lead the pace attack of Delhi Capitals. Both are world-class bowlers and can destroy any batting unit with their lethal bowling. However, with the World Cup approaching, their availability will be at the mercy of their national cricket boards. The domestic fast bowling unit of Delhi side is not up to the mark, and the team may struggle if their international stars are unavailable.
X-factor:
19-year old Prithvi Shaw has already represented India at the Test level. In 2018, he made his IPL debut and scored 245 runs with a strike rate around 153. Opening the inning, the diminutive batsman was fearless against international bowlers and attacked them with intent. He will be one of the players to watch to out for in the IPL. Rishabh Pant will always be a threat for any bowling side. His unorthodox hitting style makes him an X-factor in the DC side.
Delhi Capitals full squad for IPL 2019
Batsmen:
Ankush Bains (WK)
Hanuma Vihari
Shreyas Iyer (C)
Shikhar Dhawan
Rishabh Pant (WK)
Prithvi Shaw
Colin Munro
All-rounders:
Chris Morris
Jalaj Saxena
Keemo Paul
Sherfane Rutherford
Colin Ingram
Axar Patel
Harshal Patel
Manjot Kalra
Spinners:
Amit Mishra
Rahul Tewatia
Jayant Yadav
Sandeep Lamichhane
