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The Delhi Capitals (DC) are on the back of their best-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign. Shreyas Iyer's side reached their maiden final last year, and for the first time in recent memory, they are one of the firm favourites entering the tournament.
DC's buys in the IPL 2021 auction were smart. They needed an experienced Indian pacer to partner the South African duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, and snapped up former player Umesh Yadav at his base price. Steve Smith was another steal at INR 2.2 crores, while Englishmen Tom Curran and Sam Billings also made their way to the franchise.
Baroda captain Lukman Meriwala and Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner M Siddharth completed the DC roster spots for IPL 2021.
DC's predicted playing XI for IPL 2021
This year's IPL is still months away, but we attempt to predict what DC's ideal playing XI will look like.
DC's squad for IPL 2021: Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Prithvi Shaw, R Ashwin, Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Lalit Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Pravin Dubey, Chris Woakes, Steve Smith, Tom Curran, Sam Billings, Umesh Yadav, Lukman Meriwala, M Siddharth
Openers: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw
DC's leading run-getter with 618 runs at an average of 44.14 and a strike rate of 144.73 in IPL 2020, Shikhar Dhawan will once again stride out to open the batting for the team this year. The southpaw will look to avoid the brief dry spells he went through last season, but he'll be more than happy if can tally a similar amount of runs.
It gets tricky when we try to pick DC's other opener. Ajinkya Rahane offers a circumspect option at the top of the order and he might not gel well with Dhawan, who also takes his time to get going.
Marcus Stoinis opened the innings in a couple of games in IPL 2020, but when he did, Rahane had to play at No. 3. This not only reduced the number of balls captain Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant got to play, but also left the DC innings without momentum at the death.
Opening with Rahane or Stoinis didn't work for DC in IPL 2020 apart from the odd game. They either struggled to score in the powerplay or at the death, and left the middle order with too much to do.
New acquisition Steve Smith opened the innings for Rajasthan Royals, but there's probably no room for another semi-aggressive batsman in the DC playing XI, especially with a match-winner in Shimron Hetmyer taking up an overseas slot.
As a result, despite history and common sense suggesting otherwise, Prithvi Shaw is DC's best bet. The youngster was a walking wicket in IPL 2020, and faded away miserably after a bright start. DC will desperately need him to find a way out of his slump, and get the team off to good starts.
Interestingly, Shaw showed signs of returning to form a couple of days ago, smashing an unbeaten 105 to lead Mumbai to a win over Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Middle Order: Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shimron Hetmyer
The No. 3 and No. 4 spots in the DC playing XI will be occupied by captain Shreyas Iyer and wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant. The duo are the cornerstones of the batting lineup, and the latter in particular will want to improve upon the poor campaign he had last year.
Shimron Hetmyer should edge Steve Smith for the batting overseas slot by virtue of his ability to single-handedly take the game away from the opposition. The West Indian was inconsistent in IPL 2020, and an injury to Pant - which forced DC to play Alex Carey - didn't help matters.
Hetmyer will want to justify his big price tag and pile on the runs whenever he gets an opportunity to spend time in the middle.
All-rounders: Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel
Marcus Stoinis was one of the few all-rounders who made a mark in both departments in IPL 2020, and he'll want to replicate his performances this year. The Aussie imparted great momentum to the DC innings at the death, and won more than a couple of games single-handedly. Chris Woakes and Tom Curran will serve as backups for Stoinis.
The ever-consistent Axar Patel will be the other all-rounder in the DC playing XI. The southpaw is one of the team's key players, and his economical bowling will perfectly complement the other spinners in the side.
Bowlers: Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Amit Mishra
Ravichandran Ashwin has been a consistent performer in the IPL, and his value to DC cannot be overstated. He will be followed by DC's pace stars from last year - Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje.
The final spot in the DC playing XI will depend on the venue. On turning tracks, Amit Mishra will get the nod, while Umesh Yadav or Ishant Sharma should make the team on pitches expected to assist seam. The experienced leg-spinner is named here because DC's home ground, the Feroz Shah Kotla, is a slow bowler's paradise.
DC's predicted playing XI for IPL 2021: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Amit Mishra
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