With seven wins in his 14 league games, Delhi Capital finished fifth on the IPL 2025 points table.
It would not be exaggerated to say that Delhi Capital (DC) was the best IPL 2025 team that was not qualifying for the playoffs. They had everything-a great Indian batting core, some hard-touching foreign options, a powerful spin attack and some T20 pace experts. The coaching staff was made before a reform season, and a strong contingent was set to dazzle IPL 2025. But this was not, because DC finished fifth on the table.
However, it began with a bang. In fact, at one point, DC seemed to be some of the contenders to finish the top two, they are alone. The capitals registered five wins in their first six matches. From KL Rahul’s nature to Kuldeep Yadav’s Guil, everything was clicking on that point. Despite some suspicious decisions, the results came in his way. But in the second half, the DC stumbled and had an easy goal that fell under pressure.
He had a magnificent squad, yet, and performed with adminity for most parts of the season. Therefore, it would be hard to rate them to rate anything before 7 out of 10 in IPL 2025. On that very note, Insidsport comes down with a review for the capitals of Delhi.
IPL 2025 DC retained and released players
Delhi capitals retained players
- Exer Patel – Rs 16.5 crore
- Kuldeep Yadav – Rs 13.25 crore
- Triston Stabs – Rs 10 crore
- Abishek Porl – Rs 4 crore
DC released players
Rishabh Pant, Jake Fraser-Makegurk, Lungi Cash, Harry Brooke, Lisad Williams, Gulbadin Naib, Michel Marsh, Prithvi Shaw, Yash Dhul, Lalit Yadav, Praveen Dubey, Khalil Ahmed, Vicky Ostwell, Iswal Kushagra, Rasikh Salaam, Sumit Kumar, Swastik Nortzer, Jewandar, Jhinar, Jhinar, Jhoomi Norther Richardson, Shai Hope
(DC bought JFM, Brooke and Mukesh back)
Kuldeep, lack of stability from the exerry
DC showed immense confidence in its Indian core and so kept three Indians jointly for Rs 32.75 crore. Unfortunately, none of the three performed continuously in IPL 2025. Exer himself got only 5 wickets in 11 matches. With the bat, he had an average of 26.30 since 2021, his lowest personal. In addition, his captaincy was also suspicious.
Earlier in the season, he bowled a part-timer, stabs against a dangerous Nicholas Gorn, that too, in a death. In one of the games, DC performed RCB in his pocket, but the poor captaincy of Exer allowed Virat Kohli and Krunal Pandya to stitch the match-changing stand. In that innings, he decided to use Mukesh Kumar, which was the Iffi day, to bowl to Penaltimet instead of Mitchell Starc. Mukesh returned to the attack and then got away for 6, 4, 4, 4 in the over. Saying that, this was the first year of Exer’s full -time captaincy, and it would only be better over time.
Meanwhile, Porel was given a consistent run at the top of the order, but he was just successful. A fifty in 13 innings. Meanwhile, Kuldeep’s decline with Delhi, as he got 12 wickets in the first seven matches, but only three out of three were the last six.
Delhi Capital Review (7/10)
Positive for DC
- Uncontrolled Vipraj Nigam – 11 wickets and 142 runs at 179.75
- KL Rahul’s flexibility
- Triston Stub’s reliability
- Shakti of Ashutosh Sharma
- Mitchell Starc’s ability to take wickets
DC negative for DC
- Poor captaincy and form by Exer Patel
- Faf du Plesis & Jake Fraser-McGurk terrible forms
- Anomals by Indian batsmen
- Below by Mukesh Kumar, Mohit Sharma and T Natarajan
DC squad IPL 2025
Kl rahul, faf du plessis, abishek porel (w), axar patel (c), tristan stubbs, rizvi, ashutosh sharma, vipraj nigam, kuldeep yadav, t Natarajan, mushafizur rahaman, dushman Triraija, Raunawaha, Raunawah Ataija, Raunawaha, Raraulahat Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Darshan Naulakande, Donovan Pharera, Manwant Kumar
Watching further for IPL 2026 for DC
Delhi, despite covering most assets, a blazing foreign batsman needs to be at the top. JFM and FAF were latedown this season. He has Sedikullah Atal, but he is yet to prove himself on a big stage like the IPL. The T20 cricket is supported by power-hitlers, and DC requires at least two of them. He needs to fix KL Rahul’s spot and decide whether he is a permanent number four batsman. In addition, DC has a slightly aging Indian pace unit and requires fresh blood.
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