Delhi Capitals will start a new era under Axar Patel in IPL 2025. The star all-rounder Axar Patel replaced Rishabh Pant, who is now part of Lucknow Super Giants. DC have their task cut out and challenges await them under Axar Patel’s captaincy.
After Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, Rishabh Pant brought the home flavour to Delhi Capitals (DC). Like Sehwag and Gambhir, Rishabh was DC’s local boy. DC was Rishabh’s actual home team as he played the majority of cricket for Delhi’s state team before breaking into Team India. With Rishabh’s exit, DC will lack the local flavour.
Delhi Capitals are one of the three original teams, alongside Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings to have not won an IPL title since the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008. DC had a chance to win the elusive title in 2020, but lost to Mumbai Indians in the final. In the last three seasons, Delhi Capitals failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Ahead of the IPL 2025, Delhi-based franchise made a shocking decision to release Rishabh Pant while retaining Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs and Abhishek Porel. At the IPL 2025 Auction, DC strengthened their bench by signing talented players to the squad.
Last week, Axar Patel was appointed as the Delhi Capitals’ captain, succeeding Rishabh Pant. With a fresh squad and new captain, will the Capitals’ fortunes change and win the maiden IPL title .
Delhi Capitals at the Auction at Jeddah as Axar Patel is appointed the new skipper of the Team
The IPL 2025 mega auction was a massive success for the Delhi Capitals (DC), the runners-up of IPL 2020. With a budget of ₹72.80 crores, they secured 19 players, including some high-profile acquisitions. The team invested strategically in experienced and young talents, bolstering both their batting and bowling departments.
One of their biggest signings was KL Rahul, a seasoned wicketkeeper-batsman, for just ₹14 crores. The inclusion of Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, bought for a hefty sum, adds a lethal edge to their bowling lineup. T Natarajan (₹10.75 crores), Mukesh Kumar (₹9 crores – RTM), and Jake Fraser-McGurk (₹8 crores – RTM) further strengthen their squad.
With the legendary Faf du Plessis, Mohit Sharma, and Dushmantha Chameera also joining the ranks, Delhi Capitals are shaping up to be a formidable force in IPL 2025. Another major change was Axar Patel’s appointment as captain, replacing Rishabh Pant, who exited the franchise before the mega auction.
Axar Patel will lead DC and will have Faf du Plessis as his deputy. Axar Patel will have his task cut out and plenty of changes await him as DC will aim to end their title drought. The one-time IPL runners-up will kick off their campaign against Lucknow Super Giants on March 24. Before the start of IPL 2025, here have a look at DC’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats .
Delhi Capitals (DC) SWOT Analysis for IPL 2025
Strengths of DC in IPL 2025
Delhi Capitals have meticulously crafted an explosive batting lineup that is sure to strike fear into any opposition. At the top of the order, they have the dependable and experienced T20 opener KL Rahul, whose consistency has been proven time and again. Accompanying him is Faf du Plessis, one of the most consistent batsmen in IPL history.
Adding to the excitement is young talent Jake Fraser-McGurk, who brings fresh energy and potential to the team. Alongside them, promising Indian talents like Abhishek Porel, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, and Ashutosh Sharma provide additional depth and flexibility. There was no stopping Jake in IPL 2024 and he was smashing almost every ball he faced. The right-handed batsman smashed 330 runs in 9 matches with a strike-rate of 234.04. Jake and du Plessis can even take DC past the 300-run mark if they bat for long.
Delhi Capitals boast one of the most intimidating bowling lineups in IPL 2025. Their squad includes some of the best pacers in world cricket: Mitchell Starc (one of the best left-arm pacers globally), T Natarajan (expert death-over specialist), Dushmantha Chameera (proven international pacer), Mohit Sharma (T20 specialist), Mukesh Kumar (up-and-coming Indian pacer). With this lethal combination, Delhi Capitals have ensured they can dominate both powerplays and death overs effectively.
Delhi Capitals have a strong batting line-up: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, and Tristan Stubbs. The batting line-up doesn’t look weak even after Harry Brook pulled out of the season for the second consecutive time. Fraser-McGurk and du Plessis are hard hitters who can unleash their firepower at the top, while Rahul and Stubbs can bring stability to the middle order.
Meanwhile, Karun Nair was in impressive form in the recently concluded Indian cricket domestic season, where he scored nine centuries, and it is a big positive for DC management as they look to strengthen their middle order with an in-form batter, who can anchor the innings when needed.
DC have one of the best bowling attacks in IPL. They have a solid pace attack comprising Mitchell Starc, T Natarajan, Mohit Sharma and Mukesh Kumar. Kuldeep Yadav will have an important role for DC.
Another strength of the Capitals lies in the pace bowling attack led by Mitchell Starc. Apart from Starc, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, Mohit Sharma, and Dushmantha Chameera form a strong pace bowling unit. The big plus point is that the team has death bowling options whom they can rely on, with Starc and Natarajan bringing vast experience of executing yorkers. Mohit and Mukesh have the ability to swing the ball early on, while Chameera has a raw pace.
Axar Patel, who has been with DC since 2019, was retained for ₹16.50 crores and appointed captain for IPL 2025. While Axar Patel’s IPL captaincy experience is limited, he has led Gujarat in domestic cricket and was India’s T20I vice-captain earlier this year. Axar Patel’s all-round capabilities will be crucial in both batting and bowling departments.
Axar Patel’s presence is one of the biggest strengths for DC. The India all-rounder Axar Patel has worked on his batting and is now a complete player on the field. Axar Patel can single-handedly win games for his team in both departments.
Weaknesses of DC in IPL 2025
Delhi Capitals’ spin department appears to be one of their weaknesses, as they lack experienced spinners beyond Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel. The backup options for the team, such as Ajay Mandal, who is an uncapped Indian spinner, and Vipraj Nigam, an inexperienced T20 bowler, do not provide much assurance.
Delhi Capitals do not have a depth in the all-rounder unit. Axar Patel is an experienced all-rounder, given his experience of playing in IPL and for Team India. Apart from the captain, DC does not have a reliable all-rounder who can contribute significantly with both bat and ball. This could hurt Delhi Capitals, considering the importance of all-rounders in providing balance to the team, especially in a long tournament like IPL, where squad depth and versatility play a pivotal role during different match situations.
While KL Rahul has proven his prowess as an opener, the Delhi Capitals already have Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk occupying the top-order positions. This raises concerns about where Rahul will fit into the batting lineup, especially given his struggles in the middle order in T20 matches. Additionally, although the Capitals’ pacers excel in powerplays and death overs, they lack a bowler who can effectively control the middle overs.
DC’s over-reliance on overseas players could prove costly for them. Barring KL Rahul, they don’t really have any established Indian batsman in IPL 2025. Karun Nair hasn’t been a regular in IPL for the past few years while other batters aren’t that experienced. The lack of experience among the Indian batsmen could prove costly for DC.
Another big concern or weakness for Delhi Capitals is that they have only one frontline spinner in Kuldeep Yadav. This is quite surprising that DC do not have a specialist spin bowler backup if Kuldeep suffers an injury or struggles to take wickets.
Having only one frontline spinner will not only leave Capitals vulnerable, especially on slow pitches, but also put additional pressure on pace bowling attack and Axar Patel, who might have to take extra burden of handling the spin department singlehandedly. This lack of depth in spin bowling is likely to be exploited by the opposition, particularly against teams that play spin well, even on spin tracks.
Opportunities for DC in IPL 2025
Delhi Capitals play their home matches at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, one of the smallest cricket grounds in India. This venue provides an excellent advantage for their squad, which features powerful hitters like Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma. The combination of a small ground and hard-hitting batters gives Delhi Capitals a significant opportunity to post high totals, putting immense pressure on the opposition teams.
The upcoming season holds significant potential for emerging Indian talents like Sameer Rizvi, Abhishek Porel, and Ashutosh Sharma to shine as key performers for Delhi Capitals. If these young players are given enough opportunities, they could provide valuable depth to the team and contribute significantly to their success.
The IPL 2025 will be an opportunity for Axar Patel to show the national selectors that he can be a captaincy material in international cricket too. He was Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy in the T20I series against England. Axar Patel can be considered for a leadership role in future if DC excel under his leadership.
This is the big opportunity for Axar Patel to fill in the big shoes left by Rishabh Pant, who will be leading Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2025. Axar Patel already has leadership experience as he was the vice-captain of DC in the last two seasons and also led the teams across all age group levels of domestic tournaments.
So, the 31-year-old Axar Patel has good captaincy credentials under his belt and has the chance to prove his leadership skills. If he guides Delhi Capitals to maiden IPL title, it could further strengthen his reputation as a captain and potentially open doors to take up captaincy duties in Team India in the future.
Another opportunity for Delhi Capitals is to try talented players and give them chances at the right in order to get a better exposure of playing the IPL. The young players including Sameer Rizvi, Abhishek Porel, Tripurana Vijay, Ajay Mandal, and to name a few could benefit from valuable and gain experience at the highest level.
The upcoming season will also be an opportunity for the likes of Natarajan and Mukesh Kumar to do well and reclaim their place in the national team. Natarajan last played for India in 2021.
Threats for DC in IPL 2025
Although Delhi Capitals boast a solid frontline pace attack, one of their significant concerns is the lack of experienced backup options. Should injuries occur to their main pacers, the team could find themselves struggling to maintain the same level of performance and effectiveness.
One of the biggest threats is that most of the pace bowlers are in their 30s and could struggle with fitness and workload management during the long tournament. Starc, Natarajan, and Chameera have injury concerns in the past, and any setbacks to them could significantly weaken the DC’s pace bowling attack. Given the intensity of the tournament and gruelling scheduling for two months, managing their workload and assisting them with proper recovery after every match will be crucial to ensure that they remain fit and effective throughout the tournament.
While the Arun Jaitley Stadium offers an advantage to Delhi Capitals’ big hitters due to its small size, this could also work in favor of the opposition batsmen. The relatively weak spin department of Delhi Capitals may struggle to contain powerful batting lineups in what could potentially become high-scoring matches.
Harry Brook’s late pull-out has left the franchise’s management in the doldrums. Brook’s addition to the roster gave Delhi a sort of completeness but that no longer exists. While the management is working on bringing the balance back to the team with a replacement signing, there does remain the threat of an imbalance in the side, with Brook pulling out just days before the start of the new campaign.
Another threat has always been a struggle to maintain inconsistent results despite having a strong squad on paper. Over the past few years, DC have struggled to maintain momentum throughout the season. Oftentimes, Capitals had picked up the momentum in the latter stages of the tournament, but failed to capitalize on crucial moments. The big challenge for Axar Patel and DC management is to ensure that the team finds rhythm early in the season and maintains it throughout the tournament in order to prevent another disappointing campaign.
DC have been an underperforming team in IPL and the pressure to end their trophy drought often puts pressure on them. They have only played one IPL final in 17 years. The pressure to perform is one of the biggest threats for DC.
Delhi Capitals squad for IPL 2025
Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Abhishek Porel, Mitchell Starc, KL Rahul, Jake Fraser-McGurk, T. Natarajan, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Faf du Plessis, Mukesh Kumar, Darshan Nalkande, Vipraj Nigam, Dushmantha Chameera, Donovan Ferreira, Ajay Mandal, Manvanth Kumar, Tripurana Vijay, Madhav Tiwari.
DC Strongest Playing XI: Jake Fraser-McGurk, KL Rahul, Faf du Plessis, Abhishek Porel (wk.), Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Mohit Sharma, T Natarajan.
Impact Players: Ashutosh Sharma, Karun Nair
Delhi Capital’s Prediction for IPL 2025
Delhi Capitals (DC) have built a strong team for IPL 2025 with a lethal pace attack, explosive batting lineup, and an experienced leader in Axar Patel. However, their weak spin department and lack of middle-over bowling control remain concerns. If they can capitalize on their home advantage and manage their squad depth effectively, they have a great chance to challenge for the IPL 2025 title.