Delhi Daredevils as they were known up until 2018 made a wholesome change not just to their name (they rechristened the team to Delhi Capitals) but also the way in which they approached their cricket.
When the mega player auction happened in 2018, Delhi had retained Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant in their team. They acquired Gautam Gambhir in the auction and appointed him the captain for the season.
But as luck would have it, Gambhir quit the captaincy midway owing to his poor form, and the onus of leading the team fell on young Shreyas Iyer’s shoulder who back then was surely intimidated by the task at hand.
But cut to 2019, the team slowly started playing well as a unit and their foreign players started making telling contributions be it Kagiso Rabada or Keemo Paul.
While the fulcrum of the team rested on its young Indian batting core of Prithvi Shaw, Iyer, and Pant. Delhi we’re smart in their pre-season trade where they acquired Shikhar Dhawan, who brought in much-needed experience to compliment the youth. This year with the additions of players like Shimron Hetymer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Marcus Stoinis, and Anrich Nortje, Delhi Capitals look a complete side.
Last year was the first time since 2012 when Delhi made it to the playoffs, even though the team couldn’t go all the way in the competition, this team does look really well settled with an excellent combination of youth and experience. They seem to be title contenders for sure.
