Delhi Capitals are still in search of their maiden IPL title. We discuss four players who could be key for DC if they are to break the jinx in IPL 2025.
Among the only three teams to be part of the Indian Premier League since its inception and not have won a title are Delhi Capitals. It is not surprising that they are also one of the most unstable and poorly run franchises.
IPL 2020 was the closest they came to winning the coveted trophy but faltered in the final against mighty Mumbai Indians. Since then Delhi Capitals have made several changes to their roster, including handing over the reins to Axar Patel.
Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, DC parted ways with Rishabh Pant and retained Axar, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs and Abishek Porel. During the auction, they used Right-To-Match on Jake Fraser-McGurk and Mukesh Kumar while acquiring the likes of KL Rahul, Faf du Plessis, Harry Brook, Mitch Starc and T. Natarajan.
From the team they have constructed, here are four key players who could decide their fate in IPL 2025.
KL Rahul sold Indian fans dreams of a superstar T20 batter in 2018 but then completely disappeared in a bid for a spot in the national side. For the last six IPL editions, Rahul’s scoring rate has been a huge concern to a point where he had a fallout with not one but two franchises.
Since 2019, Rahul has an outrageous average of 50 in the IPL but has struck at only 132, which translates to 50 off 38. Innings like this, where a batter takes up a big chunk of deliveries and scores at a poor rate, are extremely harmful for teams. It’s no surprise Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants performed poorly.
KL Rahul is now out of India’s T20 side and the only way to get himself back in contention is to be more aggressive. Which version of Rahul turns up could decide Delhi Capitals’ IPL 2025 campaign.
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Tristan Stubbs is amongst the best young batters in the world, possessing a range of shots very few can match. He was one of the retained players for his skill set. He was also excellent in the previous IPL edition, scoring 378 runs at an average of 54 while striking at 191.
Stubbs had a poor first half of the season in SA20 but has found his form in the last few games, hitting 35* off 22, 37 off 38 and 43 off 27 on difficult pitches. His role in the middle order and as a finisher will be vital for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025.
Mitchell Starc was the costliest player in IPL history in 2024 when Kolkata Knight Riders bought him for INR 24.75 crore. The Aussie pacer had an underwhelming first half of that season but played a key role in the final stages to help his side win the title. He picked 17 wickets in the tournament at an economy of over 10 but claimed 3 for 34 in the Qualifier 1 and 2 for 14 in the final.
Starc will be the leader of the pace attack for Delhi Capitals, with Mukesh Kumar and T Natarajan his likely partners. How he performs in IPL 2025 will be critical for DC.
Axar Patel is arguably India’s best spin all-rounder in the shorter format but neither the Indian team nor Delhi Capitals have utilised his skill set fully. Axar’s innings in the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa, where he struck a crucial 47 off 31, should’ve changed that but he keeps getting sent low down the order.
The left-arm orthodox spinner is a terrific defensive bowler. Axar has picked 28 wickets in the last three IPL editions at an economy of 7.43. In the same period, he has piled on 700 runs at an average of 32 and strike rate of 139. Where he bats for Delhi Capitals in the upcoming IPL 2025 season and his all-round performance will be key for their fortunes.
