Slow track or a batting wicket - what will benefit Delhi Capitals for IPL 2024? 

Delhi Capitals' home ground, the Arun Jaitley Stadium, has always produced an inconsistent wicket. The 22-yard surface received an average rating during the second Test of the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

During the 2023 ODI World Cup, it produced some high-scoring matches. South Africa notably posted 428 runs against Sri Lanka in their first match, making it the highest total achieved by a team in a World Cup match.

Delhi Capitals struggled to perform on this same pitch last season (IPL 2023), with stand-in captain David Warner not being too impressed with the surfaces. He had complained about the pitch being 'inconsistent' and 'slow'.

With the 2024 Indian Premier League edition set to begin in a few months, doubts remain over the mystery of the surface in Delhi.

DC head coach Ricky Ponting had also pointed out that the players in his team want more clarity in their home turf wicket. He had said during a commentary session in a BBL game:

"I don't think the players will be able to turn up and look at the wicket and know exactly what they are going to get. I've been there with coaching in the IPL at Delhi, and we've had a bit of the same. We turned up in our own home conditions and not really know how the wicket is going to play. That is uncomfortable, no one wants that."

Delhi Capitals - A team for true surfaces

Warner would love a true batting surface

The Capitals have snapped up fast bowlers like Anrich Nortje, Jhye Richardson, Mukesh Kumar and Khaleel Ahmed, who would love bounce and pace on the pitch. Their key spinner Kuldeep Yadav has enough quality to purchase turn even on batting-condusive pitches.

As for the batting lineup for DC, they would ideally fare better on a pitch that has true pace. They have big stroke-makers, who will play better on pitchers where the bounce does not vary.

Players like Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Mitch Marsh, and Harry Brooks all love playing through the line and generally struggle on lower and slower pitches, as was evident in their Delhi matches last season.

DC showed the true ability of their batting unit when they played at Dharamshala against Kings XI Punjab on a proper batting deck in 2023. David Warner (46), Prithvi Shaw (54), and Rille Rossouw (82) carried the Capitals to a total of 213 in 20 overs. DC did well with the ball on a batting belter to snatch victory by 15 runs.

Curators for the Delhi pitch should be aware of the strength DC has while making the pitch for the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League.