The IPL 2025 auction was a mixed bag for Delhi Capitals, where they acquired some quality but also made potentially costly errors.
Delhi Capitals (DC) are one of the three franchises to have played since the inception of the Indian Premier League (IPL) but with no titles in their cabinet. Their long search for silverware continues in the IPL 2025.
The Capitals have failed to reach the playoffs in the previous three editions. The 2025 mega auction was an opportunity for them to rebuild the side.
Ahead of the auction, they retained Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, and Abishek Porel. In the auction, they secured the likes of KL Rahul, Mitchell Starc, Harry Brook, Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, and Mukesh Kumar.
The IPL 2025 auction was a mixed bag for Delhi Capitals, where they acquired some quality but also made potentially costly errors.
Delhi Capitals filled seven of their eight allocated overseas spots but have only bought two specialist bowlers. They spent INR 11.75 crore for Mitchell Starc. The Australian pacer recently revealed he opted out of the Champions Trophy 2025 due to an ankle issue and his priority is the World Test Championship final.
If Starc misses a few games in the IPL 2025, Delhi’s only other option would be Dushmantha Chameera. The Sri Lankan fast bowler has nine wickets from 13 games in the IPL at an economy of over nine.
Their experienced Indian pace options include Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan, and Mohit Sharma, all of whom do not have high pace at their disposal.
The DC team has had one of Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, and David Warner at some point in the last few years. Having a high-quality left-hand batter is a necessity in the shorter format. They had an option to go for someone like Ryan Rickelton or Ben Duckett but chose to get Faf du Plessis and Fraser-McGurk.
As a result, Abhishek Porel and Axar Patel are Delhi Capitals’ only left-hand batters. Porel did have a good season last year while Axar has also done well in recent years. However, both can be neutralized at a high pace.
ALSO READ:
Australia’s Jake Fraser-McGurk and England’s Harry Brook are two of the brightest prospects in world cricket. The 23-year-old Fraser-McGurk was brought back by Delhi Capitals for INR 9 crore via a ‘Right-To-Match’ card. They also spent INR 6.25 crore for Brook.
Fraser-McGurk had an excellent season last year, where he made 330 runs at a strike rate of 234 while averaging 37. But he has had a torrid time since – in international cricket and the BBL – raising questions over his ability.
Brook has yet to crack the T20 format and has had serious issues while dealing with spin in the subcontinent conditions. He is likely to play in the middle order in the IPL 2025, where his spin game will be tested further.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
