Rishabh Pant is the buzz word not just for Delhi Capitals, but for the whole of IPL 2024. Roughly 14 months since his horrific car accident the Delhi superstar is gearing up for a return to competitive cricket and it is a much-anticipated return in recent memory in cricket. How will he fare? Will he live up to the expectations? And it is in this question lies the answers to Delhi Capitals chances in IPL 2024.
Also Read: 10 Uncapped Players to Watch Out For During IPL 2024
After finishing 9th in IPL 2023, you would have thought DC would go for a rejig at the IPL 2024 Auction (for the nth time), but they did not, and retained the core even as they released 11 players and went in with a purse of Rs 28.95 Cr. Among the released players were the current Windies T20I skipper Rovman Powell, India’s latest Test player Sarfaraz Khan, T20 mercenaries Rilee Rossouw and Phil Salt. They brought players including Harry Brooks, Tristan Stubbs, Jhye Richardson, Kumar Kushagra and Shai Hope
But come the IPL 2024, Brook’s withdrawal has once again put a spanner in their works. Lungi Ngidi has been replaced by Australian opener Jake Fraser-McGurk. Overall, the DC unit looks a bit thin on the batting front. Shaw’s inconsistency could mean Fraser-McGurk slotting up the order alongside Warner with Mitchell Marsh and Pant to follow. That leaves them with Axar Patel, Yash Dhull, Lalit Yadav, Ricky Bhui and Kumar Kushagra to choose from for the middle and lower-middle order. As exciting a talent Stubbs is, DC cannot afford to make a returning Anrich Nortje sit out to fulfill the four overseas players quota. He may though be utilized as the Impact sub.
In the bowling front, DC only have an in-form Kuldeep and reliable Axar as sure shot performers. Nortje is returning from an injury layoff, so is Richardson – who is a fragile commodity – and then you have the unpredictable Khaleel Ahmed. Ishant Sharma proved to be a bargain pick for DC last year, but question marks will remain on the aging veteran’s fitness. Marsh may not push himself with the ball keeping in mind the impending T20 World Cup, for which he has been named the Aussie skipper. For DC, it may eventually come down to the form of Warner, and how best they use Axar.
How They Fared Last Year
From 2019 to 2022, DC had a strong run in the league making the playoffs on all three occasions under Shreyas Iyer first and, then Pant. With Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly at the helm, it looked it was only a matter of time before DC ended their IPL trophy drought. After all, they are one of three original eight franchises to have never won the title – the others being KXIP and RCB.
But in the 2023 edition, they were hit bad, really bad with Pant’s unavailability and Capitals crumbled, finishing 9th with only five wins to show. Warner was the lone DC player in the top 10 run-getter’s list last year – the next best was Axar at 34th. Their best bowler was 23rd in the Purple Cap list. They had to drop terribly out of form Shaw midway, Sarfaraz Khan had to don the gloves behind the stumps. Let alone finding a replacement for Pant, DC could not even find themselves last year.
Top Player (s) to Watch Out For
Rishabh Pant: Has to be the skipper. Last year, in Pant’s absence DC were looking to fill in three slots. Captain, Batter and a Keeper. And while Warner led admirably, DC just could not find the batter or keeper to even give 50 per cent of what Pant could have. Not to say a returning Pant will set the stage on fire with from the word go; his fitness will be a big question mark, but you would not want to bet against a player of Pant’s calibre, would you?
Axar Patel: In Pant’s absence Axar proved to be the talisman for DC both with the bat and the ball. But he probably was not utilised best as a batter last year. This year all eyes would be on how DC uses Axar the batter. Him going up to five will be the best-case scenario for DC. With the ball, he has proven to a tough costumer to handle in all kinds of pitches.
David Warner: A bona fide IPL legend, this could very well be ‘The Bull’s’ last season. He was the highest run-getter for DC last year and you can bet your money on another season where Warner will be eying the Orange Cap. And if he is able to replicate his past IPL forms, DC fans would know they will have a good season.
Strongest Playing XI for DC: Jake Fraser-McGurk, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (C & WK), Axar Patel, Ricky Bhui/Kumar Kushagra, Lalit Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar
Impact Sub: Tristan Stubbs for Nortje
Full Squad
Rishabh Pant (C), Pravin Dubey, David Warner, Vicky Ostwal, Prithvi Shaw, Anrich Nortje, Abishek Porel, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Lalit Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Mitchell Marsh, Ishant Sharma, Yash Dhull, Mukesh Kumar, Tristan Stubbs, Kumar Kushagra, Ricky Bhui, Rasikh Dar, Jhye Richardson, Sumit Kumar, Shai Hope, Swastik Chhikara
DC IPL 2024 Full Schedule
PBKS vs DC– Mullanpur, 23rd March
RR vs DC – Jaipur, 28th March
DC vs CSK – Visakhapatnam, 31st March
DC vs KKR – Visakhapatnam, 3rd April
MI vs DC – Wankhede, 7th April
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