Delhi Capitals players' bats and other equipment stolen in transit - Reports

It has been reported that a few Delhi Capitals (DC) players had their bats and other equipment in their kit stolen as they landed in Delhi on Sunday, April 16. As per reports, Sixteen bats, along with pads, shoes, thigh pads, and gloves, went missing once they landed. The team flew from Bangalore to Delhi after their match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) the day before.

It is understood that among the bats stolen, three belonged to DC captain David Warner, two to all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, three from English wicket-keeper batsman Phil Salt and five to youngster Yash Dhull.

The players found this out when they received their respective kits in their rooms and reported the matter to the franchise officials, who lodged an official complaint. Despite this debacle, the DC players managed to get through their practice session on Tuesday, April 18.

A source from the Capitals said:

“All of them were shocked when they heard that everyone had lost something or the other from their kit bags. This is the first time such an incident has happened and the matter was soon raised to the logistics department, police and later at the airport. The investigation is on”

Unfortunately, things have gone from bad to worse for DC on the field this season, with the team losing their opening five matches and finding themselves at the bottom of the points table.

They will take on the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Delhi on Thursday, April 20.

" We are a much better side than what is happening on the field at the moment" - Delhi Capitals Director Sourav Ganguly.

Sourav Ganguly looks to motivate the DC players after the tough start to IPL 2023

Despite losing their fifth consecutive game to begin the season, Delhi Capitals Director of Cricket, Sourav Ganguly, remained optimistic that the team could turn their fortunes around.

In a video shared by the Delhi Capitals, Ganguly addressed the players and motivated them to turn it around despite the torrid start. He said:

"We need to put this behind us. Back the captain, back each other together and we'll come back fresh next game. We can't get worse than this we can only get better, still nine games to go and we can win 9 out of 9. It doesn't matter if we qualify or don't qualify, it doesn't matter so much for us at this stage."

He continued:

"But let's look our inside, play for ourselves, play for our pride, and see if we can get there.We are a much better side than what is happening on the field at the moment. It just takes one game to turn around and we'll do that. Let's stick to David (Warner), he's the captain, and he's is the most important man in the team."

Having previously worked as a mentor for the franchise, Ganguly was appointed as the director of cricket for the Capitals ahead of the 2023 season to help the team bounce back from last year's disappointing finish when they missed out on qualifying for the playoffs.