Delhi Capitals, the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise that has been a consistent performer but never won the coveted trophy, has had its share of successful captains over the years. In this piece, we take a look at the three most successful skippers in Delhi Capitals’ history.
Also Read: IPL 2023: 3 Most Unsuccessful Captains of Delhi Capitals in IPL History
1) Shreyas Iyer – Won 23 out of 41 matches as Delhi Capitals captain
Shreyas Iyer, a Mumbai-based batter, led the Delhi Capitals in 41 matches from 2018 to 2020, winning 23 and losing 18. He took over the captaincy mid-season in 2018 when Gautam Gambhir stepped down. Iyer had an inexperienced team and managed to lead them to their first playoff appearance in 8 seasons in 2019 and the franchise’s first-ever final in 2020. He scored 2375 runs for the franchise in 87 innings at an average of 32 and a strike rate of 124 before being released by the team management in 2021.
2) Virender Sehwag – Won 28 out of 52 matches as Delhi Capitals captain
Virender Sehwag, one of the most destructive players in cricketing history, remains the captain to have led the Delhi Capitals for the most number of matches. He led the team in 52 matches, winning 28 and losing 24. DC made it to the semi-finals in the first two seasons of the IPL under Sehwag’s leadership. The team’s best performance under Sehwag was in 2012 when they were table toppers. However, they lost both qualifiers in the playoffs.
3) Rishabh Pant – Won 16 out of 30 matches as Delhi Capitals captain
Rishabh Pant, a dynamic left-handed wicketkeeper-batter, has been one of the best players to have played for the Delhi Capitals. Since making his IPL debut in 2016, he has scored 2838 runs in 97 innings at an average of 35 and a strike rate of 148. He took over the captaincy in IPL 2021 when Shreyas Iyer was ruled out due to injury. Pant led the team very well in the first half of the tournament and continued as captain even after Iyer returned in the second leg of the season. He has won 16 out of the 30 matches he has captained for the franchise. While he has made some rookie mistakes in his on-field captaincy, Pant’s talent and potential make him an asset to the team. It is essential that the team management backs him to continue his success as a captain in the future.