Delhi Capitals to Cope With Pant’s Absence; David Warner Comeback in Focus

Delhi Capitals prepare for their 16th season in the Indian Premier League. As their sights are set on claiming their first-ever IPL championship. Despite the significant progress they’ve made over the last four years, the team still has a considerable distance to cover. The familiar refrain “Abhi Dilli Door Hai” continues to apply.

JSW Sports and GMR Group co-own the Capitals, who made a successful return to the playoffs in 2019 after a seven-year break. Including, the runners-up stint in 2020. However, their winning streak was halted in the next two seasons. While DC failed to progress beyond the playoffs in 2021. They were stuck in the league stage in 2022.

Adding to the team’s challenges, captain Rishabh Pant will be absent from the 2023 season due to his ongoing rehabilitation and recovery from a near-fatal car accident in December 2022.

DC has appointed David Warner as their leader for the upcoming season. Warner was released by SunRisers Hyderabad. He led SunRisers Hyderabad to IPL glory in 2016, making him a proven leader.

Under the leadership of David Warner, the Delhi-based Franchise aims to bounce back from recent setbacks and compete for the IPL title. The team’s loyal fans are eagerly anticipating their latest campaign. Also hoping this year will be the one where Delhi finally brings home the coveted trophy.

Delhi Capitals Hope For a Strong Comeback For The Captain, David Warner

During his first season with Delhi Capitals, David Warner proved himself as a formidable opener, scoring an impressive 432 runs in just 12 matches, with a high score of 92 not out.

Alongside Prithvi Shaw, who scored 283 runs in 10 matches, David Warner is eager to build on last year’s successes. But with the added responsibility of leading the team.

The Capitals have made some strategic moves to strengthen their middle order. They have added two talented players. Phil Salt from England and Rilee Rossouw from South Africa, who scored a century during the 2022 T20 World Cup.

In addition to these new additions, the Capitals have also bolstered their batting line-up with proven stars like Mitchell Marsh and Sarfaraz Khan. However, the Capitals will face a strong challenge.

Two of their key players, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi will only join the team on April 3 after the ODI series against the Netherlands.

The team’s plans will be tweaked as a result of them missing the first two IPL matches. Although the Capitals have other fast bowlers, such as Ishant Sharma, who was signed in December 2022. They will have to rely heavily on wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who shone last season with 21 wickets in 14 matches.

Kuldeep Yadav will be closely watched in the upcoming season. Particularly with the 50-over World Cup being hosted by India later this year. DC will have to depend on their strong team and strategic planning to overcome these challenges. They will need to make a strong showing in the IPL.

DELHI CAPITALS 2023 SQUAD

Here’s the DC squad for the 2023 season, led by captain David Warner:

David Warner (c), Prithvi Shaw, Yash Dhull, Phil Salt (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Manish Pandey (wk), Rilee Rossouw, Ripal Patel, Rovman Powell, Mitchell Marsh, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Aman Khan, Vicky Ostwal, Kuldeep Yadav, Praveen Dubey, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Khaleel Ahmed, Lungi Ngidi, Mustafizur Rahman, Ishant Sharma, Mukesh Kumar.