Delhi Capitals, often remembered as a team that has come close but not won the IPL title, have once again made a strong start in the tournament. They won their first two matches decisively, and although they lost the next two, they were still among the top four teams after four matches. At the end of the league stage on May 24, the top four teams will qualify for the playoffs.
Only three teams — Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants — have not won the title in the IPL so far.
Delhi Capitals, captained by left-handed all-rounder Axar Patel, appear well placed to compete in the two-month-long tournament, where fluctuations in form are common. Their next fixture is an away match against defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru on April 18.
Batting strength
Delhi Capitals have a strong batting line-up, led by KL Rahul, Sameer Rizvi, South Africans David Miller and Tristan Stubbs, and Sri Lankan Pathum Nissanka. Others in the squad — including Ashutosh Sharma, Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, and Prithvi Shaw— also provide depth.
This strength was evident in the first four matches, where the team successfully chased targets in their wins, including some competitive totals.
In the third match against the Gujarat Titans, which the Delhi Capitals lost, the game remained close until the final over. In the closing moments, a run-scoring decision involving David Miller and Kuldeep Yadav proved decisive, as Kuldeep was run out while attempting the scores tying run.
The Rizvi impact
Uttar Pradesh batter Sameer Rizvi played a key role in Delhi Capitals’ first two wins. Retained before the December player auction, he was sent in at No. 4 against Lucknow Super Giants and responded with an unbeaten 70, helping his team chase 141 at the Ekana Stadium. He was named Player of the Match.
“The coach [Hemang Badani] had told me earlier that I would bat at number four and that they would back me. He asked me to play my natural game and stay positive. When I went in today, my intent was to play positively,” said Rizvi.
Rizvi’s innings, along with Tristan Stubbs, stabilised the chase after the team slipped to 26 for four. The pair added 119 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket to guide the team to a six-wicket win.
“I spoke to Stubbs, and we felt that we still had a lot of overs left, so we didn’t need to rush. When we bat together, our approach is very simple: we play according to the situation,” Rizvi said.
Rizvi also contributed significantly in the second match, scoring 90 off 51 balls against the Mumbai Indians in Delhi, earning another Player of the Match award as his team chased 162.
Delhi Capitals’ batters also put up a competitive performance against Chennai Super Kings, but the team lost by 23 runs while chasing 212.
Bowling unit
Delhi Capitals’ bowling attack is balanced. The pace unit includes Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, and T Natarajan.
Kuldeep Yadav leads the spin attack, supported by Axar Patel, Ajay Mandal, and Vipraj Nigam.
The bowlers have performed consistently, except in the match against Chennai Super Kings, when they conceded a higher total.
