The Delhi Capitals return for the 2025 version of the IPL looking to finally land a first IPL title. Once known as the Delhi Daredevils, the team have endured a tough time of things since reaching the final back in 2020 and are looking for their first playoff berth since 2021.
Formerly captained by Rishabh Pant who has since become the most expensive player in IPL history and will lead the Lucknow Super Giants, Axar Patel has been installed as the team’s new captain and he will hope his presence will bring a change in the team’s fortunes.
With Pant having left the team, the Capitals hierarchy has tried to fill the void with the savvy acquisitions of former India opener KL Rahul and one of Australia’s greatest ever white ball bowlers Mitchell Starc.
Whilst the bookies believe that the Delhi Capitals wait for an IPL title is set to drag on, fans of the team will hope that this year they can upset the odds and bring that long awaited title home.
Ahead of the new IPL season starting, here is everything you need to know about the Delhi Capitals.
Who are the Delhi Capitals?
Formerly known as the Delhi Daredevils, Delhi entered the IPL during its inaugural season and changed its name to the Delhi Capitals in 2018.
Despite the change in the team name, frustrations amongst the Delhi fanbase have continued as the team is still yet to be crowned as the champions of the IPL. The closest the team has come to glory is in 2020, but they would go onto lose in the final to the Mumbai Indians.
They came close to winning that inaugural title in 2021 by reaching the playoff phase of the tournament once again, but since that effort the Capitals have found themselves well down the overall league table and they haven’t made the playoffs since.
Last season was a frustrating one as the Capitals would finish in sixth place and only missed out on a playoff spot due to having an inferior net run rate to both RCB and the Chennai Super Kings.
They were close last year to returning back to the promised land and will hope that this is the year where they break their playoff drought.
The team is owned by JSW Sports who acquired a controlling stake back in 2018, seven years after they bought the team they will be hoping that this is finally the year that ends in IPL glory.
Where do the Capitals play?
The Delhi Capitals currently play their home games at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The stadium and cricketing tradition in India go hand in hand, with the stadium hosting the first ever game all the way back in 1883.
Whilst nobody can argue with the tradition that the stadium holds, it was clear that the stadium needed an upgrade to cope with the demands of both the game and fans in 2025 and the stadium completed an upgrade in 2023.
The stadium hosts just over 35,000 fans and when the stadium is at capacity, the fans can create a tremendous atmosphere.
Home form is what the Capitals will want to build on and it was a huge reason behind the team’s good finish last season with the Capitals winning five of their seven home games. If they can repeat that effort this year, the team’s playoff drought could well come to an end.
Who will the Capitals be playing this year?
Each of the teams in this year’s IPL will play fourteen matches in the initial league phase.
With the ten teams in the tournament being placed in two separate groups, the Capitals are in Group B and will play the Mumbai Indians, the Sunrisers, Gujarat Titans and the Lucknow Super Giants twice.
From Group A they will play the Mumbai Indians twice, whilst they will face off against the Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings once.
For a team like the Capitals who will be desperate to land a first IPL title, their start to the season is going to be essential and they will want to get off to a hot start and will face off against the Super Giants, Sunrisers and Chennai in their first three games.
The Capitals could have been offered a kinder start to their season but if they are to become the team that they hope to be, they will need to earn some points from their first three games to ensure that they aren’t cut adrift.
Who are the stars of the Delhi Capitals?
When looking at the overall odds for this year’s IPL, you could make an argument that the Delhi Capitals are overpriced and could be the value play of this year’s tournament.
With power set to be vital in which team wins the IPL, the Capitals certainly don’t lack in that department and will hope to lean on the talents and experience of Faf du Plessis, Fraser McGurk, KL Rahul, Abishek Porel and Tristan Stubbs.
In the form of du Plessis and Rahul the Capitals have two of the most experienced batsmen in this year’s competition and their experience could prove vital as the Capitals try to get over the hump and land their first ever IPL title.
The big hitting duo of McGurk and Stubbs could be a duo to watch out for and if du Plessis and Rahul fail at the top of the order they will need to make vital runs.
From a bowling point of view, it looks as if the Capitals have every angle covered. Mitchell Starc is one of the best bowlers in T20 history and as well as having the ability to be devastating at the top of the innings, he could chip in with some vital runs lower down the order.
In the pace department he will be supported by Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar and T. Natarajan and they also will be boosted by spin in the shape of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav.
When looking at the team, there seems to be very few holes and the Capitals could be a team that causes plenty of surprises.
What do the bookmakers say, and what is our verdict?
There is a huge weight of expectation on the Delhi Capitals heading into this season. Containing one of the biggest fanbases in the IPL, the Capitals have a huge amount of pressure on their shoulders but there is plenty of experience in their team that could push them towards that elusive first title.
At the top of the batting order much of the pressure will fall upon the shoulders of KL Rahul and Faf du Plessis but both have been in the pressure cooker before and will hope to show what they are all about in this year’s competition.
Whilst their batting lineup may not be the most potent in this year’s IPL competition, with the ball they look to have a lineup that could rival every team in the IPL.
Mitchell Starc will look to be the team’s talisman and both Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav will look to bring in their good form from the ICC Champions Trophy into the IPL. The bookmakers don’t believe that the Capitals have the ability to make the playoffs this year, but with the experience that they have, write them off at your peril as they could definitely cause a shock or two.
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Tom Gibson
Tom Gibson, 33, possesses a keen interest in cricket combined with expertise in betting. Based in Newcastle, he is well-acquainted with the dynamics of the game and the betting world. With numerous years analyzing cricket matches and odds, Tom offers a unique perspective on the intersection of the sport and betting strategies