5 big names who failed badly at Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals (DC), formerly known as Delhi Daredevils, have featured in every edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) since the inaugural tournament in 2008. Despite being one of the stronger teams in most editions, they have failed to win the T20 league even once so far.

Delhi made it to the semi-finals in the first two years of the competition in 2008 and 2009. Post that, they had an extremely poor run, making it to the playoffs only once between 2010 and 2018 - that was during the 2012 edition. They finished first in the league stage, but could not go all the way.

DC’s fortunes have experienced a significant shift in the right direction in recent seasons. They made it to the playoffs for the first time after six editions in 2019, before finishing as runners-up in 2020. Delhi topped the league stage in 2021 but faltered in the knockouts. Last season, they had a middling time, finishing fifth in the points table.

A number of star players have turned out for Delhi in the IPL over the years, but many have failed to deliver the goods, which is one of the reasons they haven’t lifted the title yet. In this feature, we look at five big names who failed badly during their stint at Delhi Capitals.

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#1 Tillakaratne Dilshan (2008-2010)

Former Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan. Pic: BCCI

Former Sri Lankan batter Tillakaratne Dilshan turned out for the Delhi-based franchise from 2008 to 2010. Dilshan played seven matches for Delhi in the inaugural edition, scoring only 104 runs at an average of 17.33 and a strike rate of 131.64. He claimed one wicket with his off-spin.

After not playing any matches in the 2009 competition, he featured in six games in 2010. Dilshan, however, scored only 44 runs, with a best of 17. On the bowling front, he chipped in with three wickets at an economy rate of 8.57.

The former Sri Lankan opener subsequently represented Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) from 2011 to 2013. Overall, Dilshan played 38 IPL matches, scoring 735 runs and claiming five wickets.

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#2 Aaron Finch (2011-2012)

Aaron Finch during the BBL. Pic: Getty Images

Aaron Finch is one of the most destructive batters when it comes to T20 cricket. However, he has never quite warmed up to the IPL, despite having represented a record nine franchises. The Aussie T20I skipper turned out for Delhi in the 2011 and 2012 editions, failing to make much of an impact.

In 2011, Finch played six matches, but totaled only 47 runs at an embarrassing average of 7.83, with a best score of 25. In 2012, he scored 55 runs in two games at an underwhelming strike rate of 107.84.

Finch’s most recent IPL appearance came in 2022 when he turned out for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He did manage a half-century, but finished with a mere 86 runs in five games, averaging just over 17. Overall, the 36-year-old has scored 2091 runs in 92 matches, averaging 25.19 with a strike rate of 128.20.

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#3 Mohammed Shami (2014-2018)

Team India pacer Mohammed Shami. Pic: BCCI

Seasoned Team India pacer Mohammed Shami represented the Delhi franchise from 2014 to 2018. However, his performances were consistently below par. Shami claimed only seven wickets in 12 matches at an average of 52.71 in 2014.

The fast bowler did not feature in any games in the 2015 IPL edition. He had near-identical stats in 2016 and 2017, claiming five wickets in eight matches at an average of 48.80 and 48.60 respectively. Shami had another chance in 2018 but failed to impress yet again, managing only three wickets in four games.

Even since moving out of Delhi, though, Shami’s IPL fortunes have changed for good. He claimed 58 wickets in three seasons for the Punjab Kings (2019-2021). Shami was also Gujarat Titans' (GT) standout pacer as they lifted the IPL title in their debut season last year. The seamer claimed 20 wickets in 16 matches at a strike rate of 18.30.

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#4 Yuvraj Singh (2015)

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. Pic: BCCI

Ahead of the IPL 2015 season, Delhi broke the bank for Yuvraj Singh and purchased him for a whopping ₹16 crore. It was a miscalculated move, though, as the southpaw was well past his prime by then. Yuvraj played 14 matches for DC in IPL 2015 but managed only 248 runs at a poor average of 19.07 and a disappointing strike rate of 118.09.

Not surprisingly, Yuvraj wasn’t retained by the franchise for the subsequent season. He represented Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016-17 and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in 2018, before finishing his IPL career with the Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2019. Yuvraj played a total of 132 matches in the T20 league, scoring 2750 runs and claiming 36 wickets.

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#5 Steve Smith (2021)

Steve Smith represented DC in 2021. Pic: BCCI

Star Aussie batter Steve Smith was part of the Delhi Capitals franchise for the IPL 2021 season. He had an utterly forgettable year, scoring only 152 runs in eight matches at an average of 25.33 and a strike rate of 112.59.

Smith’s highest score of the season was 39. He subsequently went unsold at the 2022 auction.

The 33-year-old Australian has played 103 IPL games to date, scoring 2485 runs at an average of 34.51 and a strike rate of 128.09, with one hundred and 11 fifties.

He pulled out of the IPL 2023 auction, but had a terrific run for the Sydney Sixers in BBL 2022-23, clobbering 346 runs in five matches, including two hundreds and a fifty in consecutive matches.

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