Predicting Delhi Capitals’ 3 first-choice overseas players for IPL 2022

The 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) runners-up, Delhi Capitals (DC), purchased 20 players at the two-day mega auction held in Bengaluru. DC picked two of Australia’s T20 World Cup heroes - David Warner (₹6.25 crore) and Mitchell Marsh (₹6.50 crore). While Warner was the Player of the Tournament in the ICC event, Marsh won the Player of the Match in the final against New Zealand.

Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur was their most expensive purchase at the auction at ₹10.75 crore. DC also picked up left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav and wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat for ₹2 crore each. Rovman Powell (₹2.8 crore), Mustafizur Rahman (₹2 crore), Chetan Sakariya (₹4.2 crore) and Khaleel Ahmed (₹5.2 crore) were among Delhi’s other prominent auction buys.

Ahead of the auction, DC retained four players - Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Prithvi Shaw, and Anrich Nortje.

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IPL 2022: DC’s key overseas players

Each franchise can field a maximum of four overseas cricketers. We take a look at three names who could be first-choice players in DC’s playing XI.

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#1 Anrich Nortje

South African pacer Anrich Nortje. Pic: Getty Images

South African pacer Anrich Nortje has been a revelation for DC over the last couple of seasons. Picked up as a replacement player by the franchise during the 2020 season, he ended up making a massive impression. The 28-year-old claimed 22 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 23.27 and a strike rate of 16.63. His extra pace proved to be an X factor as DC reached their maiden IPL final.

Nortje ran in hard and bowled the four fastest deliveries in the 2020 edition, troubling a number of quality batters in the opposition. The Proteas cricketer could not feature in the first half of IPL 2021 as Shreyas Iyer’s absence forced them to play Steve Smith as the fourth overseas player in the XI. Once Shreyas returned for the UAE leg, DC played Nortje and he did not disappoint.

The fast bowler played eight matches and claimed 12 wickets at an average of 15.58 and an excellent economy rate of 6.16. DC were so impressed with Nortje’s efforts that they retained him ahead of Kagiso Rabada for the 2022 season. The franchise will have high hopes from him for the upcoming edition too.

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#2 David Warner

Australian opener David Warner. Pic: Getty Images

Australia’s T20 World Cup hero David Warner parted ways with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction. After a prolific run with the Hyderabad franchise, during which he even led them to a title triumph in 2016, Warner had a poor season last year. He scored 195 runs in eight matches, but at a below-par strike rate of 107.73. He was sacked as captain midway through the season and waseven dropped from the playing XI towards the end.

There were question marks over his form heading into the T20 World Cup. However, he responded to critics in emphatic style, smashing 289 runs in seven matches at an average of 48.16 and a strike rate of 146.70. Following his T20 World Cup heroics, he was expected to be a big draw at the auction. Rather surprisingly, DC managed to pick him for ₹6.25 crore.

The 35-year-old has a terrific IPL record. In 150 matches, he has hammered 5449 runs at an average of 41.59 and a strike rate of 139.96. Warner has four hundreds and 50 half-centuries to his name in the T20 league. He is also the all-time leading run-getter among overseas batters in the IPL. The southpaw looks set to open DC's innings with Prithvi Shaw in the 2022 edition.

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#3 Mitchell Marsh

Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh. Pic: Getty Images

Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh looks set to miss the first few IPL 2022 matches for DC. Marsh is part of the Australian squad that is touring Pakistan. While the series will end with a one-off T20I on April 5, IPL 2022 begins on March 26. However, when available, the 30-year-old is likely to be a first-choice pick in the playing XI.

Marsh does not have a great IPL record. Dogged by injuries and poor form (he pulled out of the 2021 edition), he has only featured in 21 games in the T20 league, despite making his debut back in 2010. The Aussie has scored 225 runs at a strike rate of 114.21, apart from claiming 20 wickets at an average of 21.

However, the all-rounder will enter IPL 2022 as a different player. He performed his role to near-perfection for Australia in the T20 World Cup, clubbing an unbeaten 77 off 50 balls in the final. Marsh continued his great run in the Big Bash League (BBL), clobbering 347 runs in eight matches for the Perth Scorchers at a strike rate of 142.79. His medium pacers could also come in handy. Marsh has 66 T20 wickets at an average of 26.25.