Delhi Capitals had a brilliant last IPL season as they played their first-ever IPL finals. They eventually lost the finals to Mumbai Indians but once again showed their class as a side throughout the IPL season. Delhi Capitals retained the core of Indian players in their side ahead of the IPL auction.
Although they included the likes of Steve Smith and Sam Billings to add depth to their batting line-up. The franchise will be hoping to go one step further this season and lift their maiden IPL title. In this feature, we look ahead at the probable playing XI of Delhi Capitals for the upcoming IPL 2021 season.
Predicted XI Of Delhi Capitals For IPL 2021
1. Shikhar Dhawan
The veteran Delhi Capitals opener had a dream last season of the IPL as he ended the competition as the second-highest run-getter. Dhawan scored 618 runs in IPL 2020 with 4 half-centuries and 2 centuries and is again expected to be an integral part of DC during IPL 2021.
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2. Prithvi Shaw
The talented right-handed batsman will be eyeing to have his best ever IPL season with the bat. Shaw had an inconsistent IPL 2020 with the bat but his 200 in the ongoing Vijay Hazare trophy will give him a lot of confidence. Overall Shaw has an impressive IPL record as he has scored 826 runs at a strike rate of 140.
3. Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer has done a brilliant job since becoming the captain of the Delhi Capitals. The 26-year-old will be hoping to lead from the front again and play impactful knocks for his side in IPL 2021. He had an excellent IPL 2020 season both as a batsman and captain. He scored 519 in the tournament and ended the competition as the fourth-highest run-scorer.
4. Rishabh Pant
The gamechanger of Delhi Capitals, Rishabh Pant is expected to bat at 4 throughout IPL 2021. He may have had a quite last season with the bat but since then has taken his game to another level in international cricket. Pant is now at the peak of his powers and will be looking to play match-winning knocks for the Delhi Capitals franchise.
5. Shimron Hetmyer
Next is the destructive striker from Shimron Hetmyer who has the capability to single-handedly win a T20 match. Hetmyer is an ideal middle-order batsman in T20 cricket as he can tee of from ball one and make a difference of around 10-15 extra runs in the death overs.
6. Marcus Stoinis
The all-rounder was a real asset for Delhi Capitals with both bat and ball in IPL 2020. Stoinis put his hand up during pressure situations and took Delhi Capitals beyond the line. The DC coach Ricky Ponting is a huge admirer of the skills of Stoinis and will be hoping that he repeats his heroics in IPL 2021. The all-rounder from Australia has a strike rate of around 140 in his IPL career which makes him a dangerman for every opposition side.
7. Axar Patel
At the crucial number 7 spot, Delhi Capitals is likely to bat Axar Patel. The all-rounder is a handy lower-order batsman who can win matches with big strokes against both pace and spin. Then with the ball, Axar is always economical and never allows the opposition to run away with the match in the middle overs.
8. Ravichandran Ashwin
The seasoned off-spinner showed his value even in T20 cricket in the last IPL season. Ashwin is a master of bowling on Indian pitches and rarely has an off day. He will be the go-to bowler of Shreyas Iyer in the middle overs in IPL 2020 and his role will to pick key wickets the keep a lid on the scoring rate.
9. Kagiso Rabada
The star South African fast bowler will the leader of the bowling attack of Delhi Capitals in IPL 2020. Rabada was at his best in IPL 2020 and ended the tournament as the leading wicket-taker with 30 wickets in 17 matches. If Rabada has another good season with the ball then Delhi Capitals can well and truly go one step further and win the IPL title.
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10. Umesh Yadav
The experienced Indian fast bowler was acquired by the franchise for Rs. 2 crores in the IPL auction. The addition of Umesh Yadav will certainly make the bowling attack of DC more formidable in IPL 2021. He will be eager to make a statement and help Delhi Capitals win matches in the upcoming season.
11. Anrich Nortje
The paceman was an ideal bowling partner for Rabada in IPL 2020. In this very first IPL season, Anrich Nortje made the headlines as he bowled with rapid pace and emerged as a match-winner. He picked 22 wickets in the season and played an instrumental role in taking DC to their first-ever IPL final.
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