Will Rishabh Pant's presence be enough for Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2024?
Delhi Capitals (DC) - Team Profile
Owners: GMR Sports Pvt. Ltd. and JSW Sports Pvt. Ltd.
Captain: Rishabh Pant
Coach: Ricky Ponting
Previous edition: 9th
Title: None
Delhi Capitals (DC) were among the worst-performing teams in IPL 2023, ending in the ninth position on the points table. DC could only win five of their 14 games, attaining 10 points. Consequently, they couldn’t qualify for playoffs and won the second-least number of games in IPL 2023.
A temporary captain, David Warner, led DC last season but made numerous errors with his decisions. However, the return of Rishabh Pant should bolster the team’s confidence as they look to put the miserable performances of the previous edition aside. DC made some intriguing signings in the IPL 2024 and will be among the teams to watch out for.
Complete DC Squad for IPL 2024
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, Ricky Bhui, Kumar Kushagra, Rasikh Dar, Jhye Richardson, Sumit Kumar, Shai Hope, Swastik Chhikara
Team News (Injuries and replacements)
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Harry Brook withdrew his name from the season a few days ago for personal reasons. DC haven’t announced his replacement yet.
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Lungi Ngidi has a lower back injury and won’t feature in IPL 2024. Jake Fraser-McGurk has been announced as his replacement for the season.
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Some doubts hover around the availability of Anrich Nortje for the initial games. He is awaiting the birth of his child and might miss the first game.
Also Read: Can Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) hide their loopholes in IPL 2024?
Probable DC Playing XI for IPL 2024
Bat 1st |
Field 1st |
David Warner |
David Warner |
Prithvi Shaw |
Mitchell Marsh |
Mitchell Marsh |
Rishabh Pant (c & wk) |
Rishabh Pant (c & wk) |
Tristan Stubbs |
Tristan Stubbs |
Kumar Kushagra |
Kumar Kushagra |
Axar Patel |
Axar Patel |
Lalit Yadav |
Lalit Yadav |
Kuldeep Yadav |
Kuldeep Yadav |
Mukesh Kumar |
Mukesh Kumar |
Anrich Nortje |
Anrich Nortje |
Khaleel Ahmed |
Impact Sub: Prithvi Shaw OUT Khaleel Ahmed IN |
Impact Sub: Khaleel Ahmed OUT Prithvi Shaw IN |
Strengths
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In Prithvi Shaw and David Warner, Delhi Capitals have two quality openers who complement each other brilliantly.
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DC have a nice blend of RHBs-LHBs throughout the batting order.
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DC’s middle order has spin and pace bashers.
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DC have depth in the batting order.
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DC have quality and variety in the spin department.
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DC have a powerplay specialist in Khaleel Ahmed and an enforcer in Anrich Nortje.
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DC have plenty of bowling options in their strongest XI.
Weaknesses
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Rishabh Pant is coming after a prolonged break and hasn’t played ample competitive cricket. Hence, his performances are in doubt.
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DC lack genuine finishers in the lower order. While Axar Patel is a quality option, Kumar Kushagra has no experience playing at this level, and Lalit Yadav’s past performances aren’t inspiring.
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While DC have Mitchell Marsh, they don’t have a real pace bowling all-rounder to play in the XI. Marsh’s bowling is hardly trustworthy.
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Death overs bowling might be an issue for Delhi Capitals. Anrich Nortje is coming from an injury and has been expensive in this phase lately. Mukesh Kumar has done well but is far from a complete product, and Khaleel Ahmed often concedes plenty.
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DC have several injury-prone players returning from injuries in their squad.
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The backups aren’t as experienced and rich in quality.
DC’s IPL 2024 Fixtures/Schedule
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PBKS vs DC - 23rd March, 3:30 PM IST
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RR vs DC - 28th March, 7:30 PM IST
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DC vs CSK - 31st March, 7:30 PM IST
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DC vs KKR - 3rd April, 7:30 PM IST
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MI vs DC - 7th April, 7:30 PM
IPL 2024 Season Prediction
The return of Rishabh Pant has definitely boosted the quality of the squad. Further, Delhi Capitals also have experienced campaigners in each department. However, they still have several glaring weaknesses.
A lot will depend on how experienced players perform. Last year, DC finished ninth. They might again end up in the league stage in IPL 2024.
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