SEASON REVIEW
Follow Us“When we were on top of the game, we let it slip away from our grasp. That's one of the things we have been doing throughout the tournament,” Delhi skipper Rishabh Pant summed up DC’s season to perfection.
Seldom have we associated the word ‘inconsistency’ with Delhi Capitals in the last two seasons. For the first time in the franchise’s history, they had put the right foot forward and made a stellar impression on the league. But in 2022, they have gone back to the times, when the franchise was known for its inconsistency and unpredictability.
Pair that up with a 24-year-old captain in Rishabh Pant, Delhi first hand, understood the value of experience. Delhi’s season got off to the best start possible, with a win over Mumbai but ever since that win, they have been one of the highly unpredictable sides in the tournament.
However, it is far from alarming for the Capitals, who throughout the season have found unlikely heroes in the form of Kuldeep Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed and Rovman Powell. But on a day that they needed those heroes to step up, they failed massively, unable to beat the Wooden spoon holders Mumbai in their last clash of the season.
Threats that came true
Anrich Nortje’s form after injury
The hype around Anrich Nortje prior to the IPL 2022 was real. In fact, there were very few bowlers in the tournament who could bowl at his pace with that consistency. But there was a catch: his injury. He came into the long IPL season injured and was on the back of a prolonged absence from the game due to his injury. First, his availability was a big question mark and once he was in India, how he would fare after the injury was another big one.
Barring the one game against Punjab Kings, Nortje was perennially on the expensive side of things for the Capitals, with an ER of 15, 8.8, 10.5, 9.8, 7.3 and 9.3 during the tournament. His poor form certainly had a major impact for the Capitals, who had to rely on their other bowlers during the season to pick up the parts.
After his 22-wicket season in IPL 2020, 12 wickets in the 2021 season, the expectations had skyrocketed. As Delhi found out in the worst possible manner, Nortje’s form after injury was a pale shadow form of the South African speedster.
Rishabh Pant’s captaincy
Twice in two seasons, Rishabh Pant’s decisions have been the talking point at a crucial stage for Delhi Capitals. Multiple times this season, be it holding back Kuldeep Yadav or bowling Thakur in the powerplay, Pant’s decisions have been baffling. And the pressure of captaincy, in turn, has had its impact on Pant, the swashbuckler that turned up season after season for the Capitals.
An average of 30.9 at a strike-rate of 151.8 is what Pant managed throughout the season and the faltering aspect of the numbers is that he didn’t even notch up a half-century. Multiple times this season, Pant has opened the doors for the opposition with his shot selection, after putting the opponents under the ropes.
While Pant has been earmarked for great things as a captain, none have thus far surfaced out of two IPL seasons. Either way, the southpaw’s captaincy has cost the franchise two seasons in a row and the jury is just out.
Players who underperformed
At INR 10.75 crore, Shardul Thakur created a furore at the 2022 IPL Auction. Prior to the season, DC’s Chief Analyst Sriram Somayajula was insistent that the all-rounder’s knack of picking wickets at crucial juncture was something that no other player could provide the franchise. And Shardul’s performance at CSK was exactly that, he picked up wickets whenever the franchised wanted him to in the seasons prior.
A game of brain and numbers – DC’s Auction Strategy ft. Sriram Somayajula
But this season, an indifferent Shardul turned up for the Capitals. In the first seven games of IPL 2022, the all-rounder picked up just the four wickets, picking up just the one wicket in the powerplay. His average read: 56. Whilst he picked up pace in the second half, with 11 wickets at an average of 25.3, it was too little too late for the Capitals.
And with the bat, an average of 15 at a strike-rate of 137.9 was too little a contribution for a player of his calibre. Shardul’s indifferent form was one of the big factors that Delhi found themselves on the backfoot.
Silver linings
13 years later, Mitch Marsh arrives in IPL
And then entered, Mitchell Marsh. Marsh was a risky buy, yes 100% but he was a buy that was much-needed for the Capitals. In the absence of both Marcus Stoinis and Shreyas Iyer, the franchise needed a No.3. The Australian all-rounder missed a few games due to COVID-19 and injuries. His presence was felt, with 251 runs, with a match-winning 89 against Rajasthan Royals, all at a strike-rate of 132.80.
Unlikely heroes
16 wickets, averaging under 20, conceding runs at just 8 RPO, Khaleel has been a big factor in Delhi’s success this season. While only four wickets have come in the powerplay, the left-arm seamer has compensated for that with wickets in the middle and at the death, showing how when used properly, he can be a real asset to the franchise.
Matches they will rue losing
It is an encounter that the Delhi fans will remember infamously from this season – the clash against Lucknow Super Giants. Batting first, the Capitals’ opener Prithvi Shaw had thumped the LSG bowlers to give the Capitals a great start. At 74/3, DC were well-placed with plenty of batting in the middle-order but what transpired afterwards sums up their season – the struggle. Skipper Pant scored 39 off 36 and despite losing just three wickets, DC only got themselves to 149 in 20 overs.
Another clash from the season that DC will rue is the RCB encounter, where they reduced RCB to 92/5. But from thereon, a tactical blunder from Pant, to not use Kuldeep Yadav ended up in the Capitals conceding 97 runs, as RCB posted a total of 189 runs. In the end, DC lost that encounter by 16 runs but you know where they lost it.
