Predicting DC's top 3 run-getters in IPL 2024

Delhi Capitals (DC) will be buoyed by the return of their captain Rishabh Pant for the IPL 2024 season. Pant has been out of action since December 30, 2022, when he survived a car accident with multiple injuries.

In Pant's absence, Delhi Capitals were led by veteran Australian opener David Warner in 2023. They had a hugely disappointing season, finishing ninth in the 10-team competition, with only five wins and nine losses. DC will hope for better fortunes in IPL 2024.

At the mini-auction in Dubai in December, they purchased nine players, prominent among them being aggressive England batter Harry Brook. However, the player subsequently pulled out of the T20 league to be with his family following the death of his grandmother in February.

As DC gear up for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League, we predict the franchise's top three run-getters for IPL 2024.

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#3 Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw has had a mixed run for Delhi Capitals in the IPL. (Pic: iplt20.com)

Talented opener Prithvi Shaw had a poor run for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023. He played eight games and scored only 106 runs at an average of 13.25 and a strike rate of 124.71, with a solitary half-century to his credit.

Shaw's best season with the bat in the IPL came in the 2021 season, when he smashed 479 runs in 15 games at an average of 31.93 and a strike rate of 159.13, with four fifties to his name. DC will hope for a similar effort from the 24-year-old in IPL 2024.

Inconsistency has been one of the biggest concerns with Shaw, which was again evident during his stint with Mumbai in the recently-concluded Ranji Trophy 2024. The youngster, who suffered a knee injury in August 2023 while playing county cricket in England, returned to competitive cricket in February 2024.

Shaw played six games in Ranji Trophy 2024 and scored 451 runs, with one hundred and one half-century. He got starts on many ccasions but ended up 30s and 40s. At the same time, he has given enough glimpses of impressive form, which will boost his confidence heading into IPL 2024.

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#2 David Warner

David Warner led DC in IPL 2023. (Pic: iplt20.com)

Veteran Aussie batter Warner may have retired from Test cricket and one-day cricket, but he has expressed his willingness to play for the team in the 2024 T20 World Cup. If he does well for DC in IPL 2024, the Australian selectors will find it difficult to ignore him.

There's a good chance that he might get picked even after a poor IPL campaign, but if he performs impressively, Warner will go into the World Cup in a positive frame of mind.

Leading Delhi Capitals in Pant's absence in IPL 2023, Warner carried the batting on his shoulders, scoring 516 runs in 14 games at an average of 36.86 and a strike rate of 131.63.

The left-handed batter struck six half-centuries in last year's edition, with a best of 86. Delhi's overdependence on Warner in the batting department, though, cost the side, as they registered low scores in many IPL 2023 games.

The good news for DC is that Warner has been in good form in T20 cricket recently. He clobbered 70 off 36 in the first T20I against the West Indies in Hobart in February and followed it up with 81 off 49 in the third T20I in Perth.

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#1 Mitchell Marsh

Mitchell Marsh has been in fantastic form lately. (Pic: iplt20.com)

Batting all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been exceptional for Australia in the last year and a half, which saw him win the 2024 Allan Border medal. That's not all. Marsh has been captaining the Australian T20I squad since Aaron Finch's retirement and looks set to lead the team in the World Cup as well.

Speaking of his recent batting form, the 32-year-old hammered an unbeaten 72 off 44 in the first T20I against New Zealand in Wellington while leading the Aussies. He was outstanding in the T20I series in South Africa as well last year, smashing 92* off 49 in Durban and 79* off 39 in the second T20I at the same venue.

Looking at Marsh's performances in the IPL, he had a poor season last year, scoring only 128 runs in nine games at an average of 14.22 and a strike rate of 131.96, with one half-century.

However, Marsh has been a different player over the last year, so DC will be confident of the Australian talent delivering the big hits in IPL 2024.