IPL 2021: 5 players whose IPL careers ended at Delhi Capitals in tournament's history

Delhi Capitals, formerly known as Delhi Daredevils, have been one of the five franchises to have participated in all 14 editions of the Indian Premier League played so far. However, they have not been able to win the IPL trophy even once.

The Capitals came close to winning the championship last year in the United Arab Emirates. However, the Shreyas Iyer-led outfit lost to the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2020 Final. This year, the Delhi Capitals are in the number one position on the points table after 29 matches in the league stage.

Delhi Capitals have been home to some of the most excellent cricketers

Speaking of Delhi Capitals, some great players like AB de Villiers, Andre Russell, Irfan Pathan, Virender Sehwag, Kevin Pietersen, Yuvraj Singh, David Warner, Pat Cummins, Tillakaratne Dilshan and several others have been a part of the Delhi-based franchise in the last 14 years.

Interestingly, the franchise released the aforementioned names at one point of time. However, the following five popular cricketers ended their IPL careers at Delhi Capitals.

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1. Gautam Gambhir

Former Delhi Capitals captain Gautam Gambhir played his last IPL season in 2018. He started his IPL career at Delhi in 2008 and remained a part of the squad until 2010. The southpaw moved to Kolkata Knight Riders in 2011 and won two titles in seven years.

In 2018, Gambhir asked the Knight Riders to release him. He was picked up by the Delhi Capitals at the auction. Unfortunately, he did not have a memorable season with Delhi. Gambhir managed only 85 runs in six matches at a strike rate of less than 100. He stepped down from the captaincy position and handed over the team's reins to Shreyas Iyer. After that season, he announced his retirement.

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2. Mahela Jayawardene

Mahela Jayawardene even captained the Delhi Capitals

Current Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene joined the Delhi Capitals in 2012 after the Kochi Tuskers Kerala's exit from the IPL. The Sri Lankan batsman played a total of 31 games for Delhi in 2012 and 2013.

He looked in good touch as he scored 666 runs for Delhi, including five half-centuries. However, his strike rate (109) was an area of concern. Delhi released him after 2013, and then no other franchise showed interest in his services as a player.

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3. Glenn McGrath

Former Australian pacer Glenn McGrath played only one IPL season in his career. He represented the Delhi-based franchise in the inaugural edition of the league.

McGrath played 14 matches for Delhi and picked up 12 wickets. He won the Man of the Match award in a game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he returned with figures of 4/29. McGrath played his career's last T20 match for Delhi in the Champions League T20 2009.

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4. Zaheer Khan

Another legendary fast bowler to feature on this list is Zaheer Khan. The left-arm pacer joined the Delhi Capitals in the final phase of his IPL career and retired after the 2017 season. He even captained the team in a few matches.

Khan played a total of 30 IPL matches for Delhi, scalping 27 wickets at an economy rate of 7.46. Like McGrath, Khan's last appearance in a T20 match came while donning the Delhi-based franchise's jersey.

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5. Ajit Agarkar

Former Indian all-rounder Ajit Agarkar ended his IPL career at the Delhi Capitals as well. Agarkar's last IPL appearance came in a match between the Capitals and the Rajasthan Royals in 2013.

In all, Agarkar played 15 games for the Delhi-based franchise. He picked up 12 wickets for the team at a strike rate of 28. Since retiring, Agarkar has been a part of a few exhibition matches.