Perhaps the biggest story ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League is the absence of Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant. The talismanic wicket-keeper was involved in a horrific car accident at the end of last year and is still on the road to recovery.
Pant's absence will not only be felt within the Capitals camp, but throughout the tournament as a whole given he is a such a genuine star in Indian cricket.
Delhi Capitals IPL 2022 performance
The Capitals will have been bitterly disappointed with their 2022 season, having finished fifth in the league stage and just a win away from the playoffs. What would have made it more disappointing is the final game loss against basement side Mumbai Indians.
David Warner was the star man with the bat on his return to Delhi, scoring 432 runs at a strike rate of 150.5. Pant scored similarly, reaching 340 runs in 13 innings with a strike rate of 151.7. They were the only two to score more than 300. There were, though, contributions north of 200 from Mitchell Marsh, Prithvi Shaw and Rovman Powell; the latter two also scored at a strike rate of around 150, while Axar Patel did too while scoring 182 runs at an average of 45.5.
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| David Warner will captain Delhi Capitals in Rishabh Pant's absence and will need to be a big source of runs again [CREDIT: IPLT20] |
Axar was miserly with the ball but did not pick up wickets, while Shardul Thakur was the opposite. Kuldeep Yadav returned to form and lead the Delhi wicket charts with 21, followed by Khaleel Ahmed with 16 and Thakur with 15. They were the only three regular bowlers in terms of matches played, along with part-timer Lalit Yadav.
What squad changes have Delhi Capitals made via the IPL auction?
The Capitals were fairly quiet in the build-up to the auction, though Thakur did get traded to Kolkata Knight Riders. Having released just four players, one of those will likely be seen as a premature decision in hindsight, with India Test 'keeper Srikar Bharat not being retained.
Delhi did not make huge waves at the IPL 2023 auction, though the business they did do was significant. Having impressed in the domestic circuit and on India A duty, seam bowler Mukesh Kumar topped the bill for the Capitals, arriving for around £540,000. South African powerhouse Rilee Rossouw, who has been in exceptional form in the last 18 months, was also picked up for around £450,000.
Embed from Getty ImagesSwashbuckling England opener Phil Salt was finally handed his IPL opportunity, while experienced IPL stalwarts Manish Pandey and Ishant Sharma were brought in to further strengthen the domestic ranks.
How is the squad shaping up ahead of the start of IPL 2023?
Potential starting XI: David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Rilee Rossouw, Mitchell Marsh, Yash Dhull, Sarfaraz Khan, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed
The Delhi squad, despite the absence of Pant, looks strong and seemingly deep. The new Impact Player rule could be a benefit to them in getting all their domestic bowlers in as otherwise the batting depth may have been a little weak, with either Kuldeep coming in at eight or one of Mukesh or Khaleel missing out. Instead, one of the latter two can be replaced by someone like Dhull or Pandey.
Given the outlay, it is likely that Mukesh will get a chance early on at least, along with Khaleel who impressed last season. Nortje has gone from strength to strength in the last year but will face stiff competition from his compatriot Lungi Ngidi and Bangladesh star Mustafizur Rahman. Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Chetan Sakariya also present strong domestic options.
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| While Anrich Nortje has been at his fearsome best in the last 12 months, he will still face stiff competition for his place in the Delhi Capitals XI [CREDIT: IPLT20] |
At the other end, there will be strong competition among the overseas batting options. Rossouw and Marsh have been in great form, with the latter having performed well for the Capitals in 2022. Rovman Powell and Phil Salt are very strong alternatives, however. Salt in particular may present a case given the fact that he is a 'keeper.
Warner and Shaw are one of the more explosive opening partnerships in the IPL, with Shaw a particularly exciting if inconsistent talent. The options of two from Rossouw/Marsh/Salt/Powell make the top four potentially must-see.
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