’Lots of Poisonous Characters ‘ – AB de Villiers Makes Shocking Revelation About Delhi Capitals

Darpan Jain

Last updated: June 15, 2025 - 3 min read

AB has made a shocking revelation about the franchise, stating that there were some poisonous characters inside the dressing room.

AB de Villiers has taken a dig at the Delhi Capitals (then known as Daredevils) while recalling his time with the franchise at the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He stayed with them for the initial three seasons and did a reasonable job with the willow.

However, AB has made a shocking revelation about the franchise, stating that there were some poisonous characters inside the dressing room, although he didn’t name any players. In a talk with cricket.com, the South African great said that while he enjoyed playing with legends in the team, it was a bittersweet time for him.

“The Delhi Daredevils were in shambles. There were lots of poisonous characters in that side. So, it’s such a bittersweet moment for me because I remember it fondly. And some of the highlights of my life and career were there. From those highs to also realising there’s some cancerous characters inside. But, so, it was a very bittersweet three years for me. Also, (I) wasn’t backed as I would have liked to.”

While playing for Delhi Capitals (DC), AB de Villiers scored 671 runs at an average of 31.95 and a 117.30 strike rate in 26 innings, including three fifties and a century. However, despite performing reasonably well in limited chances, he wasn’t retained ahead of the IPL 2011 auction and ended up in Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), where he achieved towering feats.

Delhi Capitals have been among the worst performers in the IPL

Delhi Capitals have been part of the competition since the start of this tournament and remain among the worst performers. They have played 266 matches and won only 118 while losing as many as 140.

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Their 0.842 win-loss ratio is the worst among all active teams in the competition and fifth-worst overall. DC started the tournament well with qualifying for the next round in the first two seasons, but couldn’t do much apart from those.

They also qualified for the playoffs in 2012, 2019, 2020, and 2021, but the franchise hasn’t won any trophies. The Capitals also finished at the bottom in 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2018, showing how they have underachieved despite having ample experience.

They had some of the biggest names in world cricket almost every season, but failed to keep them in the team for multiple reasons. Too much chopping and changing in personnel didn’t help them either, and the Capitals are among teams, along with the Punjab Kings (PBKS), who have not won the title among those in the competition since the inaugural season.

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