Delhi Capitals suffered a big blow as Rishabh Pant was ruled out for the 2023 Indian Premier League, with David Warner stepping into the captaincy role.
Warner will be helped in the top order by new additions Rilee Rossouw and Phil Salt while veteran bowler Ishant Sharma also joins the side.
The Capitals are one of four teams in the competitions who are yet to win the trophy. They narrowly missed out on a play-off spot last season, winning seven of their 14 games. Their new signings have added more balance to their team, which should help them push for a potential title.
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DC 2023 IPL squad
Delhi Capitals only had two batters in the top 25 when it came to run scoring in the 2022 campaign. The impact of Rossouw and Salt could be the difference maker for them this time round.
| Player | Role | Age | Auction Price | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Warner (c) | Batter | 36 | IND 6.25 crore ($760,500) | Australia |
| Prithvi Shaw | Batter | 23 | IND 7.5 crore ($912,000) | India |
| Rovman Powell | Batter | 29 | IND 2.8 crore ($340,800) | West Indies |
| Axar Patel | All-rounder | 29 | IND 9 crore ($1.09m) | India |
| Kamlesh Nagarkoti | Bowler | 23 | IND 1.2 crore ($146,000) | India |
| Lalit Yadav | All-rounder | 26 | IND 65 lakhs ($79,000) | India |
| Mitchell Marsh | All-rounder | 31 | IND 6.5 crore ($790,900) | Australia |
| Pravin Dubey | Bowler | 29 | IND 50 lakhs ($60,850) | India |
| Sarfaraz Khan | Batter | 25 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| Vicky Ostwal | Bowler | 20 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| Yash Dhull | Batter | 20 | IND 50 lakhs ($60,850) | India |
| Aman Khan | Batter | 26 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| Anrich Nortje | Bowler | 29 | IND 6.5 crore ($790,900) | South Africa |
| Chetan Sakariya | Bowler | 25 | IND 4.2 crore ($511,000) | India |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Bowler | 28 | IND 2 crore ($243,300) | India |
| Lungi Ngidi | Bowler | 26 | IND 50 lakhs ($60,850) | South Africa |
| Mustafizur Rahman | Bowler | 27 | IND 2 crores ($243,300) | Bangladesh |
| Khaleel Ahmed | Bowler | 25 | IND 5.25 crore ($638,700) | India |
| Phil Salt | Batter/wicket-keeper | 26 | IND 2 crore ($243,300) | England |
| Ishant Sharma | Bowler | 34 | IND 50 lakhs ($60,850) | India |
| Mukesh Kumar | Bowler | 29 | IND 5.5 crore ($669,000) | India |
| Rilee Rossouw | Batter | 33 | IND 4.6 crore ($559,500) | South Africa |
| Manish Pandey | Batter | 33 | IND 2.4 crore ($291,950) | India |
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Delhi Capitals stars, strengths & weaknesses
The Capitals have signed a lot of star power to help them take the next step towards winning their first IPL trophy. They now possess a very dangerous bowling line-up but could have the occasional hiccup in the batting department.
Stars
Phil Salt is yet to play in the IPL, but his international and domestic records show how big of a threat he is with the bat. Lungi Ngidi has taken 25 wickets in this competitions already, and can now learn from the experienced Ishant Sharma to improve his game.
There will be a lot of eyes on Warner due to the expectations from the fans. They will want to see their side at least make the play-offs this year.
Strengths
The Delhi Capital bowling attack is both strong and deep. Even if they suffer with numerous injuries throughout the campaign, the quality of depth is mightily impressive.
Weaknesses
The batting line-up for the Capitals still leaves something to be desired. Salt, Rossouw, and Pandey are great additions, but they do not have a lot of depth if some players struggle to find form.
A lot of the important players for Delhi are overseas players. With Warner now leading the side, that leaves space for only three more overseas starters. Finding the right starting 11 could prove to be difficult.
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