IPL 2019: 3 reasons why Delhi Capitals are the team to beat this season

Delhi Capitals, formerly known as Delhi Daredevils, are a team with a history of under-achieving in the IPL. It would not be wrong to say they have been the worst performing team in the IPL; they have failed to reach the final of the tournament every single season since 2008.

They have shown sparks of brilliance at various stages of the league, and in the 2009 edition they actually looked like the best team on show. But they've never been able to translate their good starts into sustained runs of success, and they have now become the butt of all jokes.

However, DC have assembled a potent unit in 2019, which can give the traditional powerhouses of the IPL run for their money. This time around, DC look like a serious contender to lift the coveted IPL trophy.

Here, we take a look at three reasons why Delhi Capitals is the team to beat this IPL 2019 season.

#1) Strong contingent of Indian players

Shreyas Iyer

For IPL 2019, Delhi Capitals have built their core around young Indian players including Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant. The Capitals retained these three players before the auction and went into the bidding process with a clear plan. Moreover, DC signed Shikhar Dhawan in the trade window to give their batting line-up a formidable look.

DC also signed Axar Patel, Hanuma Vihari and Ishant Sharma among others in the auction, while they already had names like Amit Mishra and Avesh Khan in their ranks. The Delhi-based franchise have arguably the strongest pool of Indian players in the league.

While many of the others team may suffer due their international stars leaving the tournament mid-way for national duties, DC will undoubtedly hold an advantage due to their strong contingent of Indian players in the latter stage of the league.

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#2) A fierce bowling line-up

Ishant Sharma

In the IPL auction of 2019, the Delhi Capitals bought Ishant Sharma, West Indies pacer Keemo Paul, Axar Patel and Nathu Singh among other players. Before the auction, DC also retained their trio of overseas fast bowlers Trent Boult, Kagiso Rabada and Chris Morris. Moreover, the Indian fast bowlers like Avesh Khan, Bandaru Ayyappa, and Harshal Patel will provide decent back-up options to the team management.

This year the Delhi Capitals have arguably the best opening bowling combination in the league with the presence of Rabada and Boult. Meanwhile, the change bowlers Morris and Ishant Sharma will pose the same threat to the opposition batting line-up.

In the spin department, the Delhi Capitals already had the experienced Amit Mishra, and new spin-sensation from Nepal Sandeep Lamichhane in their ranks. Delhi Capitals also bought Axar Patel in the auction and to add variation to their spin bowling department.

This time the Delhi-based franchise seem to have the fiercest bowling unit in the league, which can blow away any batting line-up.

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#3) Appointment of Sourav Ganguly as advisor

Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting

DC’s management pulled off a coup before the start of the season by appointing Sourav Ganguly as an advisor to the team. Ganguly has one of the most astute minds in the cricketing world, and he may prove to be the X-factor the Delhi Capitals needed.

Ganguly has a vast amount of cricketing knowledge, and the young lads in the DC squad will get to learn a lot from him. With Ricky Ponting already being the head coach, DC now have two of the most successful captains the cricket world has ever seen in their ranks. Together with 'Dada', Ponting can build and execute the best cricketing strategies on the field.

Moreover, a young captain like Shreyas Iyer will benefit immensely from the presence of Ganguly in the dressing room. Iyer will get the chance to learn the knits and bits of the captaincy from the best.

Besides, Ganguly is well known for his fearless approach, and he will likely inject the same fearlessness and courage in the young team of the Delhi Capitals, which is undoubtedly required to win a tournament like the IPL.

The appointment of Ganguly as an advisor can prove to be a masterstroke by the Delhi Capitals, and he may well prove to be the missing piece of the puzzle which they were looking for all these years to lift the coveted IPL trophy.