IPL History: 10 players Delhi Capitals should not have released over the years

Delhi Daredevils have been one of the underperformers right throughout the history of the Indian Premier League. They had a promising start to their IPL journey, but have not been able to position themselves as title contenders at any stage.

Sadly, they only have themselves to blame for this poor fortune. The Delhi franchise had a lot of good players come through their ranks over the years. But questionable decision making resulted in a lot of premature releases. Most of these players went on to have stellar IPL careers for other teams.

Here are 10 players whom Delhi Capitals shouldn’t have released over the years.

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#10 Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav was with the Delhi franchise in 2009. However, he failed to feature in the playing XI and remained benched throughout the season. This was understandable when you consider how well they were performing at the time. They also had a strong bowling lineup which resulted in his exclusion.

2010 was a different story as he finally made his IPL debut. He didn’t have a memorable season, picking only 6 wickets in 7 games. Umesh continued to play for Delhi for three more seasons. His best season with them came in 2012 when he picked up 19 wickets in 17 games.

Since his departure from Delhi Capitals, he went on to play for Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. He quickly became one of RCB’s strike bowlers who could pick up wickets at crucial junctures.

Currently, the Indian pacer is in the form of his life and he finished 2018 as one of the leading wicket-takers in Tests.

It’s disappointing that the Delhi franchise couldn’t retain him for a couple more seasons. His experience and fiery pace could’ve helped enhance their lackluster bowling lineup.

#9 Ashish Nehra

Ashish Nehra

Ashish Nehra spent two seasons with Delhi Capitals (2009 and 2010). His debut season with the franchise was exceptional. He picked up wickets at regular intervals and played a huge part in many of their victorious matches. He finished the season with 19 wickets from just 13 games.

Although he didn’t play many matches for DC in 2010, he still had an impressive showing with the ball. He was an economical bowler who formed a crucial part of their bowling lineup.

That’s why many fans were baffled when DC didn’t do all they could to retain him for another season. He did return to Delhi for a single season in 2013, but failed to replicate his success and was released the following year.

He had a resurgence in his career after playing for the Chennai Super Kings and he even made a comeback in the Indian team. Nehra managed to remain consistent throughout his IPL career.

Delhi Capitals must definitely regret releasing him prematurely especially when they lacked a lot of bowling depth.

#8 Siddarth Kaul

Siddarth Kaul

Siddarth Kaul was part of the Delhi Capitals dugout for two seasons (2013 – 2014). His inexperience at that time meant that he often struggled to find a place in the playing XI. His bowling was quite raw and he failed to contribute much. Without any hesitation, he was released from his contract after just two seasons.

He was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016. Though he never a single game in his maiden season with them, he utilized his time by picking the brains of the most experienced members of the team. During this time, he learned a lot of tricks that would prove useful in the upcoming seasons.

When he finally got to play a game for SRH in 2017, he made it count. He proved himself a very talented and suitable bowling partner for Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the duo terrorized many batting lineups.

In fact, 2018 was his best season in the IPL. He picked up 21 wickets in 17 games. Currently, he is considered an integral part of the SRH team. Maybe if Delhi Capitals spent a season or two in developing this young bowler, he could’ve become their strike bowler.

#7 Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen’s international career was quite controversial. However, his IPL career was subtle. Pietersen was part of the Delhi Capitals’ squad for three seasons (2012-2014).

His debut season with them turned to be his best season in the IPL. He scored 305 runs in 8 games at an average of 61. He even scored his only IPL century during this season.

Pietersen missed the 2013 season but returned in 2014. This time, he wasn’t as impressive with the bat and struggled to score many runs. He finished 294 runs in 11 matches. He crossed the 50-run mark just once. DC decided to let him go the following season.

Delhi Capitals should’ve retained him for one more season. His experience could’ve helped them and he could’ve proved handy in the middle order. Considering how weak DC’s middle order looked at that time, one could argue that they should’ve held on to Kevin Pietersen for two more seasons.

#6 Morne Morkel

Morne Morkel

Morne Morkel was one of the most lethal bowlers in the world when he joined the Delhi Capitals teams in 2011. He stayed with DC till the 2013 season of the IPL. During his tenure, he was their standout strike bowler and even won the purple cap in 2012.

Hence, it was a total shock when DC decided to let him go after he had one bad season with them in 2013 where he picked up just 7 wickets in 10 games. This was definitely a premature decision on the part of the team owners especially when they lacked a quality bowling lineup.

Following his departure from Delhi Capitals, he went on to play for Kolkata Knight Riders but he failed to replicate the success he had in Delhi. If DC had decided to retain him for a couple more seasons, maybe he could’ve led them to their first IPL title.

#5 Andre Russell

Andre Russell

Andre Russell was the hidden gem that Delhi Capitals never knew they had. Russell joined the Delhi Capitals team in 2012 and spent two seasons with them. He arrived into the tournament with a lot of expectations from fans who had seen glimpses of his form in the previous Champions League T20.

However, the Jamaican cricketer failed to live up to the hype and it became quite evident that Delhi Capitals made an error in their decision to purchase him. He was barely able to contribute with the bat and just picked up one wicket in his two seasons with the franchise.

As expected, he was released the following year which turned out to be a huge mistake. He went on to play for KKR and has become an instrumental part of their squad. Currently, he still plays for KKR in the IPL and has proved himself to be a match winner. His contributions with the bat in the lower order has helped his team cross over the finish line on multiple occasions.

He has also transformed himself into a useful bowler and has improved considerably over the past few seasons. Just imagine the damage he could’ve done for DC had they decided to hold on to him for a couple more seasons.

#4 Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan played for Delhi Capitals in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League. Dhawan performed well with the bat and scored 340 runs in 14 matches. Despite his good performance, he was released from his contract the following year. This decision proved to be costly for the Delhi Capitals.

He went on to play for Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad were he performed considerably well. Currently, he is the 6th highest run scorer in the league with 4058 runs in 143 matches.

When you consider Delhi Capitals’ lack of a proper opening combination, they should’ve held on to Shikhar Dhawan as he could’ve been a useful opener for them. The southpaw is back with Delhi for the 2019 IPL season.

#3 Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir

Much like Shikhar Dhawan, Gautam Gambhir also started his IPL journey with the Delhi Capitals. In the inaugural season, he performed extremely well scoring 534 runs in 14 matches. However, his performances dropped in the next two seasons and he wasn’t retained by the franchise owners.

Post-release he went on to play for Kolkata Knight Riders. This is where he excelled. He even led KKR to two IPL titles and became one of the most successful captains in the IPL.

After 7 successful seasons with KKR, he returned to Delhi Capitals in 2018. However, he was a shadow of his former self. He had his worst season in 2018 scoring only 85 runs in 6 games. He decided to step down from captaincy mid-season and removed himself from the playing XI.

It is debatable whether DC should’ve held on to him for a couple more seasons when he was in good touch. He could’ve been a successful captain for them and maybe he could’ve led them to their first IPL title.

#2 AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers played three seasons (2008-2010) for the Delhi Capitals. However, he only performed well in one season (2009). Hence, they decided against retaining him for another season.

AB de Villiers went on to play for the Royal Challengers Bangalore where he has formed a formidable duo with Virat Kohli. The two batsmen have put on multiple century stands and broken multiple records over the years.

Looking at de Villiers' exploits over the years, Delhi Capitals must be wondering why they ever decided to let a batsman of his talent go.

#1 David Warner

David Warner

David Warner arrived in Delhi with a lot of expectations after his performances in the Champions League T20 where he scored back to back centuries. He spent five seasons (2009-2013) with DC. However, he was just average throughout his tenure with Delhi Capitals.

They decided to let him go in 2014 – a decision that would prove costly for them. He went on to play for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014. Since his arrival in Hyderabad, he has scored an average of 500 runs per season and has been one of the most consistent batsmen in the IPL.

He was soon named the captain of the SRH team and even led them to their first IPL title. Warner could’ve helped Delhi win their first IPL title had they decided to keep him for a few more seasons.