Hyderabad: The Delhi Capitals camp will be full of joy ahead of the forthcoming Indian Premier League as the National Cricket Academy (NCA) gave clearance to star batter Rishabh Pant to feature in the tournament for Delhi Capitals who are eyeing their maiden title after two back-to-back unforgettable seasons.
Capitals witnessed a series of poor performances from swashbuckling opener Prithvi Shaw, all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, Yash Dhull, Mustafizur Rahman, and Anrich Nortje in the previous season. They also badly missed the services of wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant who was absent from the competition after suffering a fatal car crash. The team failed to deliver as per their potential under the leadership of veteran David Warner and ended up in the ninth spot on the points table last year. After a couple of dismal editions, they will endeavour to play attacking cricket in 2024 and clinch the coveted trophy. So let’s just delve into their squad and understand their strengths, weaknesses, Threats and opportunities.
Strength:
Powerful top-order
Delhi Capitals will count on David Warner and Prithvi Shaw to score a bulk of runs and give blistering starts to the franchise in the upcoming season. Shaw went through a lean patch last year scoring only 106 runs at an average of 13.22 in eight matches. However, he has picked up form with an exceptional century (159 off 185 balls) for 41-time champion Mumbai against Chattisgarh in a group-stage encounter in the Ranji Trophy. Warner, on the other hand, was the sixth-highest run-getter in the last season but his strike rate was not in accordance with the situation on a few occasions.
Mitchell Marsh had a brilliant last season with the ball, claiming 12 wickets in nine matches at an average of 14.17. But he was short of runs with the bat and scored just 128 runs at an average of just 14.22. He has now become the captain of the mighty Australian side and would be keen to showcase his prowess ahead of the T20 World Cup, which is set to kick off a few days later after the conclusion of the cash-rich league.
Fearless overseas middle-order batters
The inclusion of England batter Harry Brook, and South African all-rounder Tristian Stubbs makes for a duo of aggressive batters. These two can strengthen the middle order by taking the attack to the opposition.
Brook faced a lot of criticism for failing to justify his worth of INR 13.25 Crore last year. However, he has a strike rate of 144.68 in T20Is and 150.09 in T20s which showcases his ability to flourish in the shortest format as well. Stubbs has an impressive strike rate of 155.19 and the duo can form a lethal pair in the lower order.
Pace Attack:
The likes of Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Jhye Richardson, and Lungi Ngidi will bolster the Capitals’ fast-bowling unit. Ishant is performing well consistently for Delhi in the domestic circuit and had a decent outing last year. South African speedster Ngidi, will share the ball with his countrymate Anrich Nortje and India pacer Mukesh Kumar. Ngidi has 25 wickets from 14 fixtures with a strike rate of 12.96 while Nortje has scalped 53 wickets from 40 matches with a strike rate of 17.40 in the Indian Premier League.
