IPL 2020: Can homegrown Delhi Capitals pack a punch this time around?
Having come so close to their maiden title last year, the Delhi Capitals have made their intentions clear ahead of the IPL 2020 auction in December. Known to nurture and push young Indian talent, the Capitals have added two more big Indian names to their squad. Kings XI Punjab skipper R Ashwin was the first to be bought by them, followed by Rajasthan Royals’ Ajinkya Rahane.
The Retained Bunch
Keeping up with their strategy from last season, the Capitals have retained their core group of players – captain Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Kagiso Rabada and Sandeep Lamichhane. The addition of Ashwin and Rahane has further boosted their retained squad of 14 players.
Here’s the full list of retained players: Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Kagiso Rabada, Sandeep Lamichhane, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Keemo Paul, Avesh Khan, R Ashwin (from KXIP), Ajinkya Rahane (From RR).
The Released Ones
The Capitals released a total of nine players including all-rounder Chris Morris, batsmen Hanuma Vihari and Colin Munro. While Morris underperformed with the bat, he was more than a handy bowler with 13 wickets in the 2019 season. In 2018, he was retained for INR 7.1 crore but as per the IPL rules, the actual price deducted from Delhi’s purse was INR 11 crore, making him the second-most expensive retained player alongside Pant. Releasing a valuable player like Morris and buying him back for a cheaper price may well be Delhi’s strategy for the upcoming auction. Delhi also brought in Mayank Markande earlier from the Mumbai Indians but later traded him off to the Royals.
Here’s the full list of released players: Chris Morris, Colin Munro, Hanuma Vihari, B Ayappa, Jalaj Saxena, Manjot Kalra, Nathu Singh, Ankush Bains.
Remaining Purse & Auction Strategy
With a whopping amount of INR 27.85 crore left in their purse, the Capitals need to bid for 11 more players to complete their squad, five of whom have to be foreign. Given their standout season last year, they could once again be headed on the path to success if they adopt a similar strategy punt. Coming into the auction next month, the Capitals will have to find replacements of players like Morris and Vihari. Their batting line-up is filled to the brim, so is their bowling attack. If they could rope in a couple of serious all-rounders, they’re likely to be one of the top contenders for the coveted IPL 2020 trophy.
