Delhi Team’s Performance in Tata IPL 2025
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Expected Playing XI and Impact Sub
Jake Fraser-McGurk, KL Rahul, Faf Du Plessis, Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Axar Patel (c), Abhishek Porel, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, T. Natarajan and Mukesh Kumar
Top Fantasy Picks from the Team
Faf Du Plessis – Even at the age of 40, Faf Du Plessis remains a force with the bat and will definitely enjoy the batting friendly condition of Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Apart from his batting, the South African often makes major contributions in the field and will certainly be a part of the leadership group that will guide the team’s new skipper Axar Patel in TATA IPL 2025.
KL Rahul – The batter was released by Lucknow ahead of the auctions after captaining them for three straight years. Without the burdens of captaincy, it’s quite possible that we would see a new and fearless avatar of KL Rahul, glimpses of which fans got during his Champions Trophy knocks.
Tristan Stubbs – After being unloaded by Mumbai ahead of TATA IPL 2024, Stubbs made a huge mark with his big hitting for Delhi and his retention ahead of many other stars is a testimony of his abilities. He is quite capable of taking his game to the next level and can leaver a bigger imprint on Delhi’s TATA IPL 2025 campaign.
Mitchell Starc – After starting slow for Kolkata, the Australian pacer came good when it mattered the most and was instrumental in Kolkata’s title winning run in 2024. A healthy partnership with yorker specialist T. Natarajan could make Delhi a top contender.
Axar Patel – The Gujarat all-rounder has finally reached a stage in his career where he can make equally telling contributions with both bat and ball. Delhi would hope that giving him captaincy duties won’t in any way affect his effectiveness with the ball and bat.
Delhi’s Schedule for TATA IPL 2025
SWOT Analysis of Delhi
The team did well at the auction table and gave itself a lot of options in terms of personnel. There is also excitement about the team’s batting lineup which consists of two very exciting youngsters in the form of Tristan Stubbs and Jake Fraser-McGurk along with two experienced stars – KL Rahul and Faf Du Plessis. Moreover, Axar Patel’s growth as a cricketer in the past few years has been tremendous to watch as he has taken on every challenge thrown at him. Hence, his appointment as captain of Delhi will also interest many.
Strengths – The small ground in Delhi and conditions which helped batters last year often proved tough for the Delhi’s slightly inexperienced bowling attack to navigate through. This year, however, with Mitchell Starc and T Natarajan manning the pace attack, the team would feel much more confident about their pace bowling resources.
Weaknesses – The team’s batting order, while made up of exciting names, doesn’t yet look settled. While Jake Fraser-McGurk is almost certain to open, it’s unclear who would partner him. KL Rahul and Faf Du Plessis have been openers for their respective franchises for the last six years and one of them might have to drop down the batting order this year. Moreover, the team’s plans have also been thrown into disarray by Harry Brook’s late withdrawal.
A lot will also depend on Kuldeep Yadav’s form who had an off season last year but was still retained because of the promise that he possesses. His good showing in the Champions Trophy would have been reassuring for the Delhi management.
Delhi Team in TATA IPL 2025
Delhi’s TATA IPL 2024 season began on a bright note with the news of Rishabh Pant’s return to cricket after 18 months. But soon it became clear that Pant’s return wouldn’t make much of a difference to the team’s fortunes. Despite some standout performances from youngsters like Jake Fraser-McGurk and Tristan Stubbs, the team never looked like making it to the playoffs which made it yet another season for them without a trophy. The team made some interesting retention choices and surprised everyone by letting go of the young Aussie opener before the auctions. However, the team made good use of their auction purse and brought many big names as well as Fraser McGurk. Stars like Faf Du Plessis, Mitchell Starc, KL Rahul will also be seen wearing Delhi’s colors this year. The team had also brought back Harry Brook who again withdrew from the TATA IPL 2025, leading to a ban being imposed on him. The franchise also made a big change ahead of the season by parting ways with Ricky Ponting and installing Hemang Badani as the coach.
Having announced Axar Patel as captain, Delhi have taken an interesting punt. While many expected KL Rahul to be given captaincy, it seems the management wants to free the batter from the burden of this responsibility. However, given Axar Patel’s lack of captaincy experience, the move can backfire as well for the franchise. Moreover, the team will play two of its home games away from Delhi and in Visakhapatnam this year.
Brief History of Delhi
Delhi Capitals, formerly known as Delhi Daredevils, have experienced a tumultuous journey in the Indian Premier League since its inception in 2008. Apart from Punjab and Bangalore, Delhi is the only team from the original eight teams to have never won a title. Their inaugural season was promising when with a star-studded batting lineup, they finished fourth on the points table and reached the semi-finals under Virender Sehwag’s leadership. This momentum continued into 2009, where they topped the table but again fell short in the semi-finals, thanks to an unforgettable Glichrist blitzkrieg. However, subsequent years saw a decline, with the team struggling to replicate early success. The 2012 season offered hope with Kevin Pietersen and Virender Sehwag in form, but they failed to advance beyond the playoffs. The team’s fortunes fluctuated, with a notable low in 2013 when they finished last.
The name change to Delhi Capitals in 2018 marked a new era, and by 2019, they began to show signs of resurgence, reaching the playoffs. Their most significant achievement came in 2020 when they appeared in their first IPL final under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy. However, a loss to Mumbai Indians meant that they remained trophyless. Since then, Delhi Capitals have continued to rebuild, with Axar Patel now leading the team after the team made a big decision of letting go of homeboy Rishabh Pant ahead of the 2025 auctions. With Pant’s departure, the local connection on which the team banked on has gone as well and the team would be desperate for a trophy to get back some of their fanbase.
