Last Updated on 2 years by Charbel Coorey
Delhi Capitals IPL 2023 Preview: Can DC win without Pant? | DC IPL 2023 SWOT Analysis: Preview of Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals have been the “nearly men” of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in recent seasons. They reached the final in 2020, followed by heartbreaking exits in 2021 and 2022. Last season, a playoffs’ spot was in their grasp, before some poor decision making and execution cost them dearly in their final league match against Mumbai Indians.
Consistency will be high on the agenda for DC this season. They were unable to string wins together last year, embarking on a win-loss pattern that ultimately saw them fall short of the top four in a competitive league.
David Warner has been named captain in the absence of Rishabh Pant. How the franchise deals with Pant’s absence will be crucial. In this article, we will preview the Capitals ahead of IPL 2023 looking at their key strengths and weaknesses.
You can watch CricBlog’s Delhi Capitals preview here on YouTube or below.
DC IPL 2023 squad
*Excluding Rishabh Pant, who is out of IPL 2023.
| Player | Role | Auction Price |
| Rishabh Pant (wk) | WT-Batsman | INR 16 Cr(R) |
| Prithvi Shaw | Batsman | INR 7.50Cr(R) |
| David Warner(C) | Batsman | INR 6.25 Crores(R) |
| Sarfaraz Khan | Batsman | INR 20 Lakhs(R) |
| Yash Dhull | Batsman | INR 50 Lakhs(R) |
| Rovman Powell | Batsman | INR 2.80 crores(R) |
| Anrich Nortje | Bowler | INR 6.50 Cr(R) |
| Kamlesh Nagarkoti | Bowler | INR 1.10 crores(R) |
| Mustafizur Rahman | Bowler | INR 2 crores(R) |
| Lungi Ngidi | Bowler | INR 50 Lakhs(R) |
| Khaleel Ahmed | Bowler | INR 5.25 crores(R) |
| Chetan Sakariya | Bowler | INR 4.20 crores(R) |
| Praveen Dubey | Bowler | INR 50 Lakhs(R) |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Bowler | INR 2 crores(R) |
| Axar Patel(vc) | All-rounder | INR 9 crores(R) |
| Mitchell Marsh | All-rounder | INR 6.50 Crores(R) |
| Lalit Yadav | All-rounder | INR 65 Lakhs(R) |
| Ripal Patel | All-rounder | INR 20 Lakhs(R) |
| Vicky Ostwal | All-rounder | INR 20 Lakh(R) |
| Aman Khan | Allrounder | Traded from KKR |
| Ishant Sharma | Bowler | INR 50 lakh |
| Phil Salt | WT-Batsman | INR 2 crores |
| Mukesh Kumar | Bowler | INR 5.5 crores |
| Manish Pandey | Batsman | INR 2.4 crores |
| Rilee Rossouw | Batsman | INR 4.6 crores |
Possible Playing XI for first match
1. David Warner (c & OS), 2. Prithvi Shaw, 3. Mitchell Marsh (OS), 4. Manish Pandey, 5. Rovman Powell (OS), 6. Sarfaraz Khan (wk), 7. Axar Patel, 8. Kuldeep Yadav, 9. Anrich Nortje (OS), 10. Mukesh Kumar, 11. Khaleel Ahmed
DC IPL 2023 Preview: Strengths & Weaknesses
Here we’ll look at DC’s key strengths and weaknesses for IPL 2023, as well as touch on their opportunities and threats.
Strengths/Opportunities
David Warner and Prithvi Shaw opening combination
The Warner-Shaw combination has the potential to be the best in IPL 2023. Shaw’s powerplay exploits and Warner’s experience will be vital to Delhi’s hopes. On the slow Delhi pitches, a fast start against the hard new ball can prove crucial in the final analysis.
Wicket-taking options in their pace battery
In Anrich Nortje and Khaleel Ahmed, DC have two wicket-taking options who are expected to line up right away. But, in their squad, they also have a number of capable options they can turn to throughout the campaign.
In terms of the overseas options, Mustafizur Rahman can be a handful with his cutters on the Feroz Kotla pitch. Lungi Ngidi is a genuine wicket-taker in T20s.
Domestically, Chetan Sekariya continues to improve, and will be better for the experience of the past two seasons. Mukesh Kumar is highly rated and how Kamlesh Nagarkoti fares this season will be interesting to see, as the potential is there.
Resurgence of Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav is back, further evidenced by his performances in the recent ODI series against Australia. The left-arm chinaman spinner was also in terrific form at stages in IPL 2022, and if he can replicate some of that here, we can expect DC to win overs 7-16 very often.
Also, Kuldeep, along with Axar, can be a handful in their home games, while offering important control away from home, too.
Weaknesses/Threats
DC’s finishing
DC’s finishing stocks looks a worry. A lot will rest on Rovman Powell in this department, with Rishabh Pant, who usually occupies the number five slot, out of the tournament.
The expected top three of Warner, Marsh and Shaw can provide magnificent starts throughout, but DC will want to build on that. Also, they don’t want to only be relying on quick or big starts to produce competitive totals.
Sixth bowling option
DC will have five solid bowling options upfront. However, can their sixth bowler offer enough control?
Mitch Marsh can contribute, but his fitness is often in question given his injury history. With DC needing a keeper, Sarfaraz Khan may keep and bat at six. So, there may not be room for Lalit Yadav if Manish Pandey is also picked, which means DC will bank on their top five bowlers delivering.
Verdict
DC will be competitive. However, much may rest on their top order. In a competitive, tight league, that may ultimately be costly with playoffs spots at a premium.
Read CricBlog’s other team previews for IPL 2023:
- Mumbai Indians MI IPL 2023 Preview: 6th title for MI?
- Chennai Super Kings CSK IPL 2023 Preview: Can CSK bounce back?
- Royal Challengers RCB IPL 2023 Preview: Is this the year of RCB?
- Lucknow Super Giants LSG IPL 2023 Preview: Strong year for second-timers?
You can watch CricBlog’s Delhi Capitals preview here on YouTube or below.
