While we have seen teams like Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings assert their dominance in both the IPL and the CLT20 during the last decade, there have been three teams that have never had the chance to lift the IPL trophy i.e RCB, DC and PBKS. since 2019 DC is qualifying in playoffs, also they played their first IPL Final in 2020 against Mumbai Indians but they lost the match against the most successful team in IPL. Unlike Kings XI Punjab or Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals have had some very strong players on their side over the years but it's their bad decisions which are holding them back from winning a title. In 2008, they had the chance to sign Virat Kohli as the U-19 player but they opted for Pradeep Sangwan instead. The Delhi-based outfit has let go of T20 heavyweights such as AB De Villiers, David Warner, Andre Russell and Glenn Maxwell.
A feature in most of their squads over the years is the reliance on Indian batsmen. Rahul Dravid, and most recently, Ricky Ponting have managed to a lot of confidence in their young players such as Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Avesh khan and Kagiso Rabada. They finished as table toppers in 2009 and 2012, but have made the playoffs on four occasions only. Delhi daredevils also hold the unfortunate record of finishing at rock bottom of the table four times. They changed their team name from Delhi Daredevils to Delhi Capitals in 2018 and found immediate success by finishing in the playoffs for the first time since 2012. let's see the all-time best XI of DC:
Virender Sehwag:
The flamboyant opener played for Delhi Capitals from 2008 to 2013 and scored a total of 2382 runs in 86 matches during that period, which is 500 more than any other player. He was the man who symbolized ‘Delhi’, and was deservedly chosen as the captain and icon player in 2008. He powered the team into the semi-can Chargers in 2011. He scored his runs for Delhi Capitals at an average of 29.77 but it was his strike rate of 158.37 that set him apart from his peers. Viru scored more than 400 runs in 3 of the 6 seasons that he played for the Delhi Capitals. He also holds the finals of the first two seasons of the IPL. He scored a magnificent 56-ball 119 against Discord for the most 50+ scores for the Delhi franchise, with 16 such knocks to his name.
Also Read | All-time best RCB XI in Ipl history
David warner:
David Warner is the highest scoring foreign player for the Delhi Capitals. The southpaw was drafted by the Delhi Capitals in 2009. He scored 1456 runs for them with an average of 28.54 at a healthy strike rate of 132.84. He has scored the most number of centuries for the Capitals. He joined Sunrisers Hyderabad after the 2013 campaign and has been their most consistent batsman in the IPL. In 2011, Warner became the first cricketer to score consecutive T20 centuries, when he followed 123* against Royal Challengers Bangalore. He once again played for DC after 9 years and made a great comeback he scored 5 fifties this year. He scored 432 runs in 12 matches at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 150.02.
Gautam Gambhir:
Gambhir has represented Delhi Capitals in two different stages of his career. He started his IPL journey with his local side in 2008, joined Kolkata Knight Riders for 8 seasons which saw him gain immense success and then returned to Delhi Capitals for a season. He spent the first three years of IPL with Delhi Capitals. He scored a total of 1200 runs in 48 innings and was vital to Delhi’s fortunes in the first few seasons. He was also the highest run-scorer for the Delhi outfit in the inaugural season of the IPL, scoring 534 runs at an excellent average of 41.07 and an impressive strike rate of 140.89, which included five half centuries. His return to the capital city in 2018 wasn’t a season to remember. Just like Warner, Gambhir went on to become a household name for another IPL side, but his contribution to Delhi Capitals is noteworthy, to say the least. The two-time IPL-winning captain will also have the additional responsibility of leading the side.
Also Read | All-time Best MI XI in Ipl history
Shreyas Iyer:
The Mumbai batsman has immaculate cricketing techniques under his belt. He is capable of taking the aerial route on one ball and then playing a handsome cover drive on the other. He has been one of their best batsmen since the 2015 campaign. Apart from 2016, which saw a blip in his form, he has scored around 400 runs each year. He scored around 2375 runs for DC. His career highest average is 37.36 is just an indication of how vital he is in the middle order. Following a series of poor performances by Gautam Gambhir in 2018, the youngster was made captain of the side and it has helped him improve his game by leaps and bounds. He is the third highest run-getter in the history of the franchise already and has been a mainstay in their batting lineup ever since making his debut back in 2015. But in 2022 he parted ways with DC and joined the KKR side and became their new skipper.
Rishabh Pant:
Also represented Delhi in first-class cricket. Like Iyer, Pant has also played only for one team in his IPL career. He was only 19 years old when he made his IPL debut in 2016 and he made an instant impact on the side. The Delhi southpaw would also be donning the keeping gloves for this team. He has scored 2838 runs for DC at an average of 34.05. The youngster was named the ‘Emerging Player of the year in IPL 2018 as he scored 684 runs, the most by any Delhi Capitals batsman in a single season. He scored these runs at a mind-blowing average of 52.61 and a strike rate of 173.60. He has now become the new captain of DC. Pant is only 25 and has a great career ahead of him and the fact that he walks into this team just shows how much he has already achieved.
Also Read | All time best KKR XI in Ipl history
JP Duminy:
Jean-Paul Duminy is one of the forgotten stars of IPL. After a few good seasons with Mumbai Indians, Duminy played for Deccan Chargers before joining Delhi Capitals in 2014. Duminy enjoyed a couple of fruitful years at Feroz Shah Kotla. He scored 400+ runs in his first two seasons while for Delhi Capitals. After an average outing with the bat in 2016, he returned to Mumbai Indians for the 2018 season. Duminy aggregated 1015 runs for Delhi Capitals at an excellent average of 44.13 and a strike rate of 130.79. He was appointed the captain of the team in IPL 2015, considering his consistent performances for the franchise in the previous season. His average of 44.13 in 35 innings is a testament to his consistency. Duminy has accounted for 13 dismissals while playing for the Delhi outfit, at a decent economy rate of 7.38. Duminy’s wicket haul for DC includes a spell of 4/17 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the best bowling performance by an overseas player for the franchise.
Chris Morris:
After beginning his IPL journey with Chennai Super Kings, and being part of the Rajasthan Royals, Morris found a home in the form of Delhi Capitals. Thanks to his ability to bowl yorkers in the death overs, and being able to clear the boundary as a finisher, he has been one of the most consistent foreign players for the Delhi Capitals. The South African all-rounder has a great attitude and has played a key role in Delhi’s campaigns over the last few seasons, starring with both bat and ball. Morris has scored 427 runs for Delhi Capitals at an average of 28.46. His tremendous strike rate of 160.52 is second only to Rishabh Pant among all Delhi Capitals batsmen. With the ball, Morris has 41 scalps to his credit at an average of 24.31 and an economy rate of 8.17. His bowling strike rate of 17.8 is the best of any player in this team. He has consistently picked up 10+ wickets in almost every season. Morris’ stock in South African cricket rose after his successful IPL stint.
Also Read | All time best SRH XI in Ipl history
Umesh Yadav:
Umesh Yadav has been one of the best Indian fast bowlers in IPL history and one can make a case for his inclusion in the all-time XI for as many as three different IPL franchises. He plied his trade for the Delhi Capitals from 2010 to 2013 and did enough to make him the highest wicket-taking Indian pace bowler for them by grabbing 47 wickets in 49 appearances. He can clock speeds in the high 140s and swing it at the same time. He is the second highest wicket-taking Indian fast bowler in IPL history, only behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Whilst playing for the Delhi Capitals, “Strongman” has picked up 47 wickets at an economy rate of 7.93 and an average of 29.17. It was during his stint at Delhi Capitals when he got his debut caps for India across all three formats. He has played for Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore after he departed from the Delhi Capitals and has enjoyed successful periods of play for both those teams as well. In his IPL career, he has Claimed 135 wickets.
Kagiso Rabada:
Kagiso Canada is one of the best fast bowlers in recent times. He has lots of variations under his belt. He made his IPL debut for DC in 2017. He picked 77 wickets for DC from 2017 to 2021. Also, he was the purple cap holder in IPL 2020. In 2020 he scalped 30 wickets in a single season. He parted ways with DC in the 2022 mega auction and was picked by PBKS where he took 23 wickets for them in his debut season.
Also Read | All-time best Rajasthan Royals XI in Ipl history
Amit Mishra:
Amit Mishra has been the standout player for the Delhi Capitals. The Haryana leg-spinner is not only the highest wicket-taker for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, but also has the most dismissals among all Indian bowlers in the history of the league. Amit Mishra has claimed 101 wickets for Delhi Capitals at an average of 24.27 and a decent economy rate of 7.36. He holds the record of taking three hat tricks in the IPL. One of these hat tricks came while playing for Delhi Daredevils, against his former side Deccan Chargers. He played for the Delhi Capitals from 2008-2010 and from 2015 onwards. His most fruitful return for the Delhi Capitals came back in 2010 when he took 17 wickets. Throughout the years in the IPL, he has become the second highest wicket-taker in the competition, only behind Lasith Malinga. He has picked up 157 wickets in 147 matches at an economy rate of 7.35 and a strike rate of 19.75. This includes 3 four-wicket hauls and one fifer.
Ashish Nehra:
He has taken 36 wickets in 30 outings for the Delhi Capitals during his three seasons at the club. His best season came in 2009 as he picked up 19 wickets in just 13 games conceding only 6.78 runs and over at a brilliant strike rate of 16.10. In 2015, playing for Chennai Super Kings, Nehra got 22 dismissals to his name as he helped his side reach the IPL finals. Ashish Nehra faced some competition from the likes of Zaheer Khan and Shahbaz Nadeem. But he knows the local conditions, is very economical and also fulfills the team’s need for a left-arm pacer. The veteran pacer is capable of bowling at a tight length and foxing the batsmen by changing the pace of the ball quite frequently and that’s why he is the most sensible choice.
Also Read | All Time Best CSK XI in Ipl history
