Delhi Capitals have never won the IPL despite featuring top talent over the years.
Under Axar Patel's leadership, they will hope IPL 2025 finally ends their title drought.
After years of near misses and frustrating exits, Delhi Capitals enter IPL 2025 with a burning desire for change.
A revamped leadership, a strategic auction haul, and a squad brimming with potential signal a clear message -- this is the year they break the cycle.
Starting March 24 against the Lucknow Super Giants, the Capitals' quest for their elusive first title begins in Visakhapatnam, a quest fuelled by ambition and a hunger to rewrite their narrative.
Their best performance came in 2020 when they reached the final, only to fall short against Rohit Sharma's Mumbai Indians. Since then, the franchise has struggled to find consistency and leadership.
Rishabh Pant, once considered the face of the team, failed to inspire, while David Warner couldn't provide the spark either. Pant has now been picked up by Lucknow Super Giants for a record Rs 27 crore (Rs 270 million), becoming the most expensive player in IPL history, while Warner went unsold.
This season marks a new beginning under all-rounder Axar Patel, who has been named captain. The 31 year old has led Gujarat in domestic cricket and captained Delhi in one match last season.
Though many expected newly bought Rahul to take over as skipper after being signed for Rs 14 crore, the franchise opted for Axar's calm leadership, with veteran Faf as his deputy.
Delhi were among the most active teams at the auction. They landed Mitchell Starc for Rs 11.75 crore (Rs 117.5 million) after his match-winning performances for KKR last season. T Natarajan, Mohit Sharma and Mukesh Kumar add depth to a solid pace attack.
Jake Fraser-McGurk was a breakout star last season, scoring 330 runs at a blistering strike rate of 234.04. He is expected to open alongside Abhishek Porel, forming a powerful partnership. The middle order features Rahul who must adapt if batting at No. 3, and South Africa's Tristan Stubbs, who impressed as a finisher with a strike rate nearing 191.
While the batting and pace departments look strong, Delhi's spin attack lacks depth. Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel remain the key options, but the absence of experienced backups is a concern.
Karun Nair returned to Delhi after being picked for Rs 50 lakh (Rs 5 million). His comeback follows a stellar domestic season, where he scored 779 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy at an average of 389.50 and played a key role in Vidarbha's Ranji Trophy triumph with 863 runs at 53.94.
Delhi's campaign will hinge on team balance. If Rahul can bring intent with the bat, and Starc and Kuldeep maintain their form, Delhi have the firepower to make a deep run. However, poor handling of their batting order or over-reliance on key players could once again leave them short of glory.
The Capitals have never won the IPL despite featuring top talent over the years. Under Axar's leadership, they will hope IPL 2025 finally ends their title drought.
Squad
Batters
K L Rahul, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Karun Nair, Tristan Stubbs, Faf du Plessis, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Donovan Ferreira
WicketkeepersAbhishek Porel, K L RahulAll-roundersAxar Patel, Ajay Mandal, Manvanth Kumar, Tripurana Vijay, Madhav Tiwari
Bowlers
Mitchell Starc, T Natarajan, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Darshan Nalkande, Vipraj Nigam, Dushmanta Chameera
IPL Titles: 0
Delhi Capital Schedule - IPL 2025
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