Why have the Delhi Capitals underperformed this season?

Before the start of the 2022 IPL, the Delhi Capitals were regarded as one of the tournament’s most consistent teams, having made the final in 2020 and then followed that up by finishing the 2021 regular season at the summit of the table. On the back of these impressive showings, the general feeling was that the franchise from Delhi was nailed on for another play-off berth in 2022, but that expectation slowly faded as a host of problems combined to ensure that the Capitals could only finish in fifth. With this in mind, what exactly went wrong?

In short, the most significant factor that explains the team’s underwhelming campaign has been the form, or lack of it in this case, of their star players. Anrich Nortje is perhaps the most guilty in this respect, having not lived up to his pre-tournament billing. Indeed, Delhi was expecting a version of Nortje that they saw in 2021 when the speedster took 12 wickets in just eight games, but that was far from the case with the South African going at an expensive average of over ten an over in 2022. The long and short of it is that when your strike bowler is being dispatched to the boundary with ease, it becomes virtually impossible to mount a credible semi-final charge. This was the trend for the entire tournament and needless to say, coach Ricky Ponting's words about key players stepping up fell on deaf ears.

Another reason for Delhi’s inconsistency has been ill-discipline, a mixture of injury to key players like Mitch Marsh, and questionable leadership from Rishabh Pant. As far as the latter goes, the 24-year-old’s aggressive captaincy exposed his team early in the tournament, which ultimately meant that a string of strategic blunders was made. In particular, Pant was guilty of not using star left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav enough despite the 27-year-old being the standout bowler for the side.

All in all, it has been a disappointing season for the team and their supporters in Delhi and further afield. Indeed, the franchise’s fanbase stretches far and wide, which, surprisingly, even includes countries like Pakistan where Delhi have a committed following. Cricket is, after all, the most popular game in the country and tellingly, the top four online betting sites in Pakistan have bookmakers that offer competitive odds on the IPL. As you may already know, cricket and the IPL is a way of life in India, Pakistan, and other neighbouring countries, and this is reflected by the services offered by odds providers.

Moreover, Bet365, one of the featured bookmakers, offers a vast selection of cricket betting markets and above-industry odds for cricket fans who want to bet on the Delhi Capitals next season.

There is, of course, work to be done in the nets and at the 2023 auction to ensure that this once feared side meets its high standards again next term.