IPL: 5 players Delhi Capitals (DC) regret not retaining

After so many seasons of struggle, it seems like the Delhi Capitals (DC) are finally going to be in the playoffs this season and will be even contesting strongly for the title. Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer and the mentorship of Ricky Ponting, Sourav Ganguly and Mohammad Kaif, the team has found a great rhythm which at the moment is pretty difficult to break.

They lost quite a few matches in the beginning, but once the likes of Kagiso Rabada hit a purple patch, they looked unbeatable. With seven victories in 11 matches, their place in nearly booked and they probably need another win to confirm their presence in the final four. The last time they had such a season was back in 2012, where they finished on top of the points table.

They got two shots at the final, just the way all top two teams over the years got, and managed to bottle both. Over the time period, they let go of some outstanding talents, which perhaps was the reason behind their downfall. Here are some names who they should’ve never let go of.

1. David Warner

Arguably the finest batsman in IPL history, on par with the likes of Suresh Raina, Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, David Warner has already earned the status of an IPL legend. His heroics for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have been prolific since his first season of association with them in 2014, scoring more than 500 runs every time. He has also won the Orange Cup twice.

In the five seasons the southpaw spent with the Delhi-based franchise, Warner mustered 1,435 runs and also registered two centuries in his career. Yet, his international records and IPL numbers were not satisfying enough for the management to retain or buy him in the 2014 auction. He joined the Sunrisers in the 2014 auction and the rest, as they say, is history.

2. AB de Villiers

No batsman gives the bowler a harder time than an on-song AB de Villiers. He makes them think as much they can, yet manages to outwit them with ease. Apart from all the mind games, he has all the power and skill to play mind-boggling shots all over the ground, which is why the fans call him Mr. 360.

His time with the Royal Challengers has simply been astounding, but the Delhi franchise letting him go after the 2010 season made very little sense, as that was the time when he was at his peak. The Proteas stalwart joined RCB in the 2011 season, after scoring 672 runs for the club in his three seasons. His best season for Delhi came in 2009 when the tournament was conducted in his home country, South Africa.

3. Andre Russell

Certainly, this season’s most attractive player, Andre Russell has piled up a lot of runs and picked some important wickets, making him the most prized asset for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The Jamaican was a part of the Delhi Daredevils’, now Capitals, best season thus far in 2012 and played just one game, failing to create an impact.

If current form was an important factor of consideration, one cannot blame the franchise for letting him go back in those days. His record for the North-Indian side was abysmal, to say the least, and had a heavy price tag attached to his name. He spent the 2012 and 2013 seasons with Delhi and was picked for his base price of Rs. 10 Lakh by the KKR franchise in 2014.

4. Kedar Jadhav

Indian cricket’s most priceless asset as it stands, Kedar Jadhav is now a World Cup squad member and perhaps, one of the most important ones. It will be interesting to see where he bats in the 50-overs mega event but as it stands, he might be lining himself up for the much talked about number four position. He currently represents the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

He spent time with Delhi in two different terms. He was with them in 2010 for a season and then came back in 2013 to spend three seasons. His performances were never up to the mark, which eventually led to his sacking from the franchise. Jadhav has had a more memorable time in international cricket when compared to the club level.

5. Patrick Cummins

One of Australia’s most important cricketers heading into the World Cup, Patrick Cummins was awarded the Allan Border model for his outstanding performances in 2018. In the absence of some of the big names, Cummins took charge as their main man with the ball and also with the bat on a few occasions.

Cummins was with the Delhi franchise in 2017 having spent a season with KKR back in 2014. For some reason, they had to let him go back to the auction and the Mumbai Indians (MI) bought him in 2018 for Rs. 4.5 Crore. Cummins right now is hailed as one of the three best fast bowlers with Kagiso Rabada and Jasprit Bumrah. Delhi would’ve been impregnable with Rabada and Cummins both in the team.

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