Delhi Capitals kicked off their IPL 2025 campaign in style, winning four straight games and looking like strong title contenders. But as the season approaches the business end, the side’s form and fortunes have completely turned around. The Axar Patel-led side has now lost four of their last six matches, with three of them coming at home. Their most recent defeat came against Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday evening.
In the loss to KKR, Sunil Narine’s all-round brilliance took the defending champions over the line. While chasing 205, the Capitals came close but eventually fell short by 14 runs despite brilliant efforts from Faf du Plessis (62 off 45), Axar Patel (43 off 23), and Vipraj Nigam (38 off 19). Narine wasn’t just effective with the ball (3/27), he also ran out KL Rahul and took a crucial catch, making a difference in almost every phase. Notably, he also led the side for the last few overs in the second innings after Ajinkya Rahane suffered an injury on his hand and returned to the dugout.
One of the biggest issues for the loss has been their recent form overall and PowerPlay execution. Against KKR, DC leaked 79 runs in the first six overs while managing only 58/2 in their own. That early deficit put unnecessary pressure on the middle order.
DC’s qualification scenario is still in their hands, but the room for error is minimal. With 12 points from 10 matches, they sit fourth on the table, behind Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Mumbai Indians, and Gujarat Titans. Their net run rate has slipped to positive 0.362, compared to RCB’s (+)0.521. To go top, they’ll need not just to win but win big, either defending a total by over 35 runs or chasing 160 in under 16 overs. With just four games left, DC is moving towards a now-or-never situation. They will look to regroup and bring out a solution to these lapses.
CricTracker lists two things that have not worked for the Delhi-based franchise and suggests ways in which they can redeem themselves.
2. Overdependence on Mitchell Starc from the fast bowling unit:
Ace pacer Mitchell Starc has been the only fighter in DC’s pace attack this season, often carrying the bowling unit on his shoulders. Despite going for runs, Starc has provided breakthroughs at regular intervals and has picked 14 wickets in 10 games at an average of 26.14, including a fiery 5/35 spell. He currently sits fourth on the list of highest wicket-takers in IPL 2025. While the Aussie left-armer has bagged wickets regularly, support from the other pacers has been underwhelming. Mukesh Kumar has nine wickets but conceded runs at nearly 10 an over. Dushmantha Chameera, featured in just three matches, and veteran Mohit Sharma, with just two wickets in seven games, haven’t provided much backup either. Starc in the recent clash against KKR finished with figures of 3/43, including two wickets in the final over.
1. Poor start from the top-order:
The top order has been a concern this season, failing to provide solid starts and eventually burdening the middle overs. The poor form of Jake Fraser triggered a change mid-season, but putting him on the bench hasn’t benefited the side. Young prospect Abishek Porel has struggled, and in the game against KKR, he fell cheaply to Anukul Roy after hitting a boundary. Faf du Plessis scored 62, but his contributions have been inconsistent, with scores of 2, 22, and 29 in recent games. Karun Nair too has blown hot and cold, managing just 15 before falling LBW to Vaibhav Arora.
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