The internet has been buzzing with the news of Axar Patel, who is likely to be sacked as the captain of the Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the IPL 2026 season. Although the franchise has shown signs of retaining the spin bowling all-rounder, the possibility of him continuing as the DC skipper appears slim.

In such a scenario, the Delhi-based outfit may be compelled to explore alternative captaincy options in the form of Faf du Plessis, KL Rahul, and Tristan Stubbs. In this article, we will look at the top three captaincy candidates who are likely to fill Axar's shoes ahead of the next IPL season. 

See also: Unknown fact about Salman Nizar: This IPL franchise called him for trail

Faf du Plessis

The veteran Proteas batter has a wealth of experience in competing in various franchise leagues around the world. In addition, the 41-year-old has led several notable franchises to success. He was appointed as RCB's skipper in 2022 and captained them for two years before stepping down. Under him, the Bangalore-based outfit made it to the 2024 playoffs. Elsewhere outside the IPL, Faf also endured a successful stint in the CPL by taking St Lucia Kings to their maiden CPL title win in 2024. Apart from CPL, the South African veteran also experienced a stellar run in MLC 2025. Leading the Texas Super Kings, Faf powdered the opposition with multiple centuries and took his side to a commanding position in the league.

Add to that, the South African southpaw has also captained the Proteas at the international level, leading his side in all three formats. Earlier in the IPL 2024 season, Faf served as a deputy to Axar. Faf's experience will be quite invaluable, and being the vice-captain of the team, he looks like the strongest contender to become the next captain of the Delhi Capitals ahead of the upcoming IPL season. 

KL Rahul

Indian all-format specialist batter KL Rahul is another formidable cricketing personality who can take over the captaincy baton from Axar ahead of the 19th IPL edition. Rahul is blessed with some strong captaincy credentials at his disposal. The Bangalore-based batter has so far captained two IPL franchises to this day—PBKS & LSG. His captaincy journey in the IPL began in 2020 with PBKS. Though PBKS struggled to make it to the top four, Rahul did not allow the burden of captaincy to affect his natural game. He finished the 2020 season as the highest run scorer with 670 runs to his name and slammed his best score of 132*, which was, at that time, the highest by an Indian in the IPL.

Then, in 2022, he switched his allegiance to LSG. Although he was ruled out midway through the 2023 season, Rahul was able to make a comeback a year later. However, LSG failed to deliver a promising performance under his leadership and crashed out prematurely from IPL 2024. Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of LSG, was visibly vexed to see the results, and Rahul was eventually sidelined from the squad ahead of IPL 2025. Although at first, Rahul declined to take over DC's captaincy ahead of the 2025 season, experts suggest he could change his mind as the next season looms large.

Tristan Stubbs

Tristan Stubbs, unlike his earlier predecessors, has age on his side. The South African batting all-rounder is currently in the midst of navigating the early phase of his IPL career. Although Stubbs has no credible captaincy experience under his belt, he is well known for being a key performer and a highly versatile player. Moreover, the Delhi Capitals assistant coach even went as far as describing him as a “player for the next five years”, thereby underscoring his growing importance to the team. His adaptability, backing himself in high-pressure moments, and tactical awareness have drawn praise, though always as a player and not as a leader. 

At age 25, and with growing visibility, leadership opportunities might not be far off if he continues on this trajectory. The combination of explosive batting, athleticism, and significant on-field contributions that he consistently showcases during crucial moments of a match may entice the DC management to move away from seasoned players and invest in the promising young all-rounder.

Delhi Capitals (DC), just before the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), decided to appoint the left-arm Indian spin all-rounder, Axar Patel, as the new leader of the side. The veteran has been a crucial member of the franchise in balancing the squad and team selection with his four overs of bowling and the batting ability at the lower or middle order of the line-up.

Under Axar Patel’s leadership, Delhi finished in the fifth position in the points table. They won seven encounters out of 14 games at a net run rate of +0.011. It was a bizarre season for the franchise, which started its event with five wins in the first six games before facing four defeats in the five games towards the business end of the competition.

See Also: [WATCH] Craziest hit-wicket on wide delivery during CPL 2025 as video goes viral

Axar clubbed 263 runs at a strike rate of 157.48 in 11 innings of the IPL 2025, with the best score of 43 runs. Along with that, he picked up just five wickets in 11 innings at an average of 57.60 and an economy rate of 8.47, with the best bowling figure of 2/19 in an innings.

Delhi Capitals likely to search for new captain to replace Axar Patel

The Capitals had several experienced players in the side, including the former two captains from the league, Faf du Plessis and KL Rahul. The latter contributed immensely with the bat, having accumulated 539 runs in 13 innings of the IPL 2025 at an average of 53.60 and a strike rate of 149.72, with three half-centuries and one century.

Axar was decent in the job, but to expect batting, bowling, and fielding at the grey areas of the ground, and then to lead the side was an external job for the left-arm spinner. On the other hand, Rahul could be an option, having crossed the 500-run mark in the last eight seasons of the event apart from 2023.

Faf can also be an option in this department. However, fitness could be a concern for the former Protea batter, who missed a big chunk of the previous season of the event due to injury. Else, they can look for some other batter for the position, which is unlikely to happen. 

The former chief selector of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Kris Srikkanth, has slammed the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee and the T20I captain of the Blue Brigade, Suryakumar Yadav, for removing Axar Patel from the vice-captaincy for the Asia Cup 2025. He also questioned the presence of Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, and Shivam Dube.

Srikkanth has struggled to find a reason for the removal of vice-captaincy for Axar, who was in charge during the home five-match T20I series against England earlier this year. Shubman Gill replaced the left-arm spin all-rounder in that position, as Srikkanth also predicted that even if the national side went on to the Asia Cup 2025, they might not do the same with the T20 World Cup 2026.

See Also: CPL 2025, Match 06: St Kitts and Nevis Patriots vs Saint Lucia Kings full match highlights and scorecard

“We might win the Asia Cup with this team, but there is no chance of winning the T20 World Cup with this bunch. Are you going to take this team to the World Cup? Is this the preparation for the T20 World Cup, which is hardly six months away?” The former opening batter of India expressed on his YouTube channel.

Kris Srikkanth questions India’s decision to appoint Shubman Gill as vice-captain for Asia Cup 2025

In the press conference, Suryakumar added that Gill was always in the position of vice-captaincy. But they had to change it because the Punjab-born couldn’t play many T20Is due to the Champions Trophy 2025 and several other ODI and Test series, including the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 and recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy (ATT) 2025.

“They have gone backwards. Axar Patel has been axed from vice-captaincy. I don’t know how Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, and Harshit Rana have come in. IPL is considered the main criterion for selection, but the selectors seem to have considered performances before that.” The former Tamil Nadu opener reckoned.

India’s opening contest of the Asia Cup 2025 will be against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on September 10 before they lock horns with the arch-rivals, Pakistan, on September 14, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The senior men's national selection committee has chosen the 15-member Indian squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. In the inclusion of Shubman Gill, Axar Patel has been removed from the vice-captaincy role. Former Indian cricketer has reacted to this decision, as he is disappointed with it.  

Indian Test captain Shubman Gill, who is also the vice-captain in the ODI side, has returned to the T20I format, as he has been selected for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, which the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host between September 9 and 28. He last played a T20I match in July 2024, when India toured Sri Lanka. Before that tour, while India toured Zimbabwe, Gill led the Indian T20I side for all five matches. Now, for the Asia Cup 2025, Gill will play the deputy captain role of Suryakumar Yadav.  

See Also: Why no Shreyas Iyer in Asia Cup 2025 squad?

Axar did no wrong: Mohammad Kaif

Gill has replaced Axar Patel in the T20I vice-captaincy role, while the all-rounder will continue his playing role for the national team. Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif, the 2000 U19 World Cup-winning captain, feels that Axar didn't do any wrong that he lost his T20I vice-captain role, and he deserved a proper explanation about this. 

I hope Axar Patel was informed about his removal from vice-captaincy in advance and he didn't come to know about it from the press conference. Axar did no wrong so he deserves an explanation. @akshar2026

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) August 19, 2025

India will face Pakistan in Group A of Asia Cup 2025

India will start the Asia Cup 2025 from Group A, where they will face Pakistan, UAE, and Oman. The top two teams of the group will advance to the Super Four of the tournament. Apart from the 15-member squad, the selection committee also chose five standby players for the tournament. 

India’s squad for Asia Cup: Surya Kumar Yadav (Captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh

Standby players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel

The Asia Cup 2025 is a unique challenge for Team India, captained by Suryakumar Yadav, and a familiar one at the same time. Following their victory in the T20 World Cup 2024, the Men in Blue are eager for their next significant trophy. With mounting tension and growing expectations, this tournament provides India a further opportunity to hone their array of strategies while fielding a few new combinations. In the UAE, with only three weeks to compete, there must be enough balance in the squad, batters and bowlers alike, to remain competitive.

The two venues, Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium (Abu Dhabi) and Dubai International Stadium have pushed towards batters and pacers in the last 12 months.  In 29 T20 games across three separate competitions, just 55% of wickets fell and the majority of matches resulted in high-scoring slug-fests. All the indicators suggest that bowlers will need to go hard to earn favorable outcomes and India's selection of the bowling attack will be critical. The balance between spin and pace will be critical to securing results in these run-favoured playing conditions.

See Also: India's squad selection for Asia Cup 2025 delayed in Mumbai for this reason

With T20 format tournament, this is the best chance for India to play with five bowler balanced attack. It would be best to have at least two frontline spinners in order to ensure control of the middle overs, and two all-rounders to deepen the batting order while having at least three specialist pacers in the XI allows them to adjust to different opponents in the tournament. There are a lot of ways that India could think and strategize this to ensure that the world champs are well prepared for the Asia Cup 2025 T20 tournament, which could have seven matches in three weeks!

Arshdeep Singh 

As a left-arm pacer, he has a rare ability to swing the new ball both ways, meaning he is especially dangerous against left-handers. His skills would take him into the death overs as well, and he is relentless in using a range of clever variations to deceive batters. This all-round skill gives him the ability to be effective at all stages of the T20 innings - a valuable asset to any team. 

He goes into the Asia Cup 2025 after an impressive IPL 2025 season with Punjab Kings which he distinguished himself as one of the most consistent performers. In his 17 matches, he took 21 wickets at an excellent economy of 8. He showed the ability to combine control and taking wickets. Interestingly, of the 240 wickets taken by bowlers at the Abu Dhabi and Dubai venues recently, 76 were taken by left-arm seamers. That should only help his confidence for the tournament.

Prasidh Krishna

Opting for Harshit Rana over a vastly improved T20 bowler like Prasidh Krishna could prove to be a questionable decision by the Indian team management. Krishna’s Purple Cap triumph in IPL 2025, where he picked up 25 wickets, was not a fluke. Instead, it showcased the transformation in his T20 game, where he displayed control and maturity that had previously been missing. His performances underline consistency rather than being a one-off success.

The Karnataka pacer has been remarkably disciplined with his lengths, frequently targeting the full and good-length areas across 15 matches this season. At the same time, he has cleverly used the short ball as a reliable stock option to keep batters guessing. What makes him even more effective is his sharp use of pace variations, a skill he has mastered over the past four months. This evolution has made Krishna one of the most dependable fast bowlers in India’s T20 setup.

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is a stands-alone player in the Indian national team when talking about match situations. His brilliance yet again shone in IPL 2025 in important moments, both bat and ball. Pandya took 14 wickets in 15 matches at 24 run average, meaning he was able to take wickets in the most important moments for his team. His dynamic game is still revolving around him being one of the best all-rounders in T20 cricket, and he continues game after game to be the most trusted.

As a bowler he understands high pressure match situations, and welcomes that responsibility of bowling in the most critical over of the match. Even when four boundaries on the trot is scored, he hurdle won't be shaken and control his mind and temperament, quickly resetting his game plan. This fearless and composed demeanor allows him to remain 'locked in' as much as he possibly can in the match scenario, and expects matters like the moment are good will, makes him an unstinting asset in India's plans ahead of important tournaments.

Varun Chakravarthy

Since his return to international cricket after a near four-year layoff, Varun's comeback has been nothing short of a fairytale, not only in terms of performance level, but also improvement in his bowling. Varun made an immediate impression by taking 14 wickets from five matches against England, followed by a further nine wickets at the Dubai International Stadium during Champions Trophy 2025. This turnaround came after having practiced his variety, something that he did not have the necessary accuracy for during the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. Varun is very evidently a bowler grown.

Despite a mixed IPL 2025 season with the Kolkata Knight Riders, Varun was still able to be impactful, claiming 17 wickets in 13 matches at an economy rate of 7.6, demonstrating consistency throughout. Varun's ability to deliver for both franchise and country shows how much he has come along as a bowler, and he clearly looks to be, once again, a vital cog in India's bowling line-up in limited overs cricket.

Axar Patel

India's T20I vice-captain may not have the most dazzling numbers on paper but has an incredible knack of coming to the fore at important times which makes him indispensable. His ability to break partnerships and create breakthroughs, when the team needs them most, has invariably turned games in India's favor. He remains one of the most dependable options in that format owing to his knowledge and ability to remain composed under pressure. 

Asia Cup 2025 could be the perfect tournament for Axar Patel to add to his inauspicious record in that format. The pitches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been particularly fruitful for left-arm spinners; in the last 29 games, there were 48 wickets taken by left-arm spinners- 60% of all spin dismissals-. However, the vast majority of these dismissals were a result of finger spinners who predominantly rely on drift rather than turn, which is Axar's biggest strength. The tournament opens up an ideal opportunity for him to enhance his record further.

Kuldeep Yadav

The dependable left-arm wrist-spinner has been an integral cog in India's bowling unit for many years, whilst continuing to provide valuable services in the T20 arena. His power of consistency and run management has proved an incredibly dependable option for the team in match defining moments, and even though conditions change, he has transitioned his game well  and proved effective in all phases.

While IPL 2025 was considered a quiet season in a relative sense by his high standards, he has still managed to take 15 wickets in 14 matches. Most importantly, his economy rate of 7.07 remained impressive given that he is able to restrict batters whilst still providing necessary breakthroughs; therefore, if the ability to both control and take wickets is the desired skill, he is a huge asset leading into the Asia Cup 2025.

A successful tour of England, both as captain and batter, has propelled Shubman Gill back into the spotlight, with strong indications that he will be reinstated as India’s T20I vice-captain for the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE. According to a RevSportz report, Gill is all but certain to return to the T20I setup and will resume the role of deputy to Suryakumar Yadav, replacing Axar Patel.

Gill last featured in a T20I series against Sri Lanka in July 2024, right after India’s T20 World Cup campaign, but had since focused on ODIs and Test cricket. His absence paved the way for Axar Patel to be appointed vice-captain for the home series against England earlier this year. The Gujarat all-rounder performed well with the ball, taking six wickets in five matches at an average of 16.50, but struggled with the bat.

Axar’s leadership qualities were further highlighted during the 2025 IPL, where he captained Delhi Capitals admirably despite missing out on the playoffs. However, his decent all-around efforts may not be enough to retain the vice-captaincy, with selectors keen to bring Gill back into a leadership role.

ALSO SEE: Star India player undergoes fitness assessment in NCA ahead of Asia Cup 2025

Stellar Test Series Paves Way for Opener’s Return to T20I Leadership in Asia Cup

Gill’s recent form has been nothing short of sensational. Leading India in the five-Test series against England, the 25-year-old scored a record-breaking 754 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40, guiding his team to a hard-fought 2-2 draw. His success as a leader has even sparked conversations about him potentially taking over India’s ODI captaincy in the future, though Rohit Sharma remains at the helm for now.

In T20Is, Gill has played 21 matches, scoring 578 runs at an average of 30.42 and a strike rate of 139.28. His return could shake up India’s top order, with Abhishek Sharma’s spot in particular under scrutiny. Sanju Samson is expected to open the innings as wicketkeeper-batter, potentially alongside Gill, leaving Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhishek in a tight battle for selection.

The Asia Cup, scheduled from September 9 to 28 in the UAE, will mark Gill’s comeback to the shortest format and could be the first step in his gradual rise toward becoming a future full-time India captain.

On Saturday (May 24), the Men’s Selection Committee selected an 18-member Indian senior men’s Test squad for the upcoming England tour, where they will play a five-match Test series. Here, we are going through the unselected India XI for the England tour. 

India will start their 2025-2027 ICC World Test Championship journey with the five-match Test series in England. Due to the recent retirement of Test captain Rohit Sharma and legendary cricketer Virat Kohli, along with legendary off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, India have some new Test faces along with special comebacks. 

India tour of England 2025: Key Indian squad facts

Sai Sudharsan and Arshdeep Singh are the new faces in Indian Test cricket, while Karun Nair and Shardul Thakur have returned to the Test squad. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill has been selected as the new Test captain, while Rishabh Pant is set to play his deputy role in the red-ball format.

India tour of England 2025: Top unselected Indian players

Meanwhile, we are missing some strong names in the Indian Test squad for the upcoming England tour. Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara are the two strong names who could take important responsibilities with their strong experiences, especially when we miss Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. 

Shreyas Iyer, who has played 14 Tests, is also an important name on the missing list. His last Test was the 2024 Visakhapatnam Test against England. 

See Also: IND vs ENG: Why Shreyas Iyer was not selected in India’s Test squad for England tour?

Two-Test experienced Ishan Kishan is another strong name to miss the England tour, along with Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is yet to make his Test debut. Sarfaraz Khan, who made his Test debut during the England tour of India 2024-25 season and has played six Tests, has been dropped from the Test squad.  

Anshul Kamboj is a special pace-bowling all-rounder, who was in the news in November 2024 after becoming the third Ranji Trophy bowler to record a 10-wicket haul in an innings. The 24-year-old has huge potential. Axar Patel, with 14-Test experience, is also missing from the Test squad.

Among the pacers, we are missing Khaleel Ahmed and Harshit Rana, along with the veteran Mohammed Shami, whose fitness is reportedly still a concern for Test cricket. Khaleel is yet to make his Test debut, while Harshit has played two Tests after making his debut during India's tour of Australia last season.  

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Sarfaraz Khan, Anshul Kamboj, Harshit Rana, and Khaleel Ahmed are set to travel to England earlier in the Test series as a part of the India A squad. So, any of them can join the Indian Test squad during the upcoming England tour. 

Unselected India XI vs England

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Sarfaraz Khan, Axar Patel, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammed Shami, Harshit Rana, Khaleel Ahmed 

Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians are hosting Delhi Capitals in the important IPL 2025 clash on Wednesday evening (May 21). While it is an important match for both teams, who are fighting to secure the last spot in the IPL 2025 Playoffs, Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel is missing the game. Here, you will know the reason for the DC skipper's absence from the game.

While both teams are set for their 13th game of the season, it is a must-win match for both teams. Delhi Capitals, who have 13 points, can't afford a winless result in this game as it will cost them elimination from the tournament. Mumbai Indians have 14 points, and with a win in this match will be enough for them to secure their spot for the Playoffs.

See Also: 'Don't take that extra pressure'— MS Dhoni's words of wisdom for youngsters

IPL 2025, MI vs DC: Why is Axar Patel not playing?

During the toss at Wankhede Stadium, Delhi Capitals' fans were shocked when Faf du Plessis came for the toss instead of the regular captain Axar Patel. DC stand-in skipper Du Plessis won the toss and chose to field first. At the toss, the former South African revealed that Axar Patel was missing the match due to being down with a really bad flu.

Axar Patel has significant contributions with bat 

Delhi Capitals all-rounder Axar Patel is the fourth most run-scorer for his team in the ongoing IPL season, scoring 263 runs in 11 innings with an average of 26.30 and a strike rate of 157.48. The left-handed batter's scores in the last few matches were 34, 39, 34*, 15, 43, 6, and 25 runs.  Meanwhile, as a left-arm spinner, the DC skipper has taken five wickets this season. 

Delhi Capitals are winless in their last four games, including three losses and one no result. They must end their winless run in the away fixture against Mumbai Indians to stay in the battle for the IPL 2025 Playoffs. 

In Match 60 of IPL 2025, Gujarat Titans (GT) clinched the playoffs with a 10-wicket victory against Delhi Capitals (DC) at Arun Jaitley Stadium. DC, sent in to bat first by GT, scored 199/3 thanks to KL Rahul's unbeaten 112* (65 balls) and Tristan Stubbs' 31*. However, GT's bowlers made sure that Late in the innings, DC scored quickly to the limit of 200 runs - with a clinical 223-run stand (complete by both Gill and Sudharsan as they made their 100s batting together). R Sai Kishore (1/25) as most bowler ensured that GT left DC short by 10 runs. GT exacted a comprehensive chase through Gill (93* off 53 balls) and Sudharsan (108* off 61 balls) who were left (205 runs) unnaturally un-picked to chase 200, in 19 overs.

DC's bowlers, particularly Kuldeep Yadav, had no breakthroughs, wasted early reviews and miserable moans were originated without any success from the camp led by Axar Patel (who made cries for 10-15 runs washed up, review and pants - waste), as Gill explained GT played too many single times in a disciplined togetherness whilst Sudharsan mopped up runs in success against this scoring in Delhi (for the most). GT will make the playoffs with Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of Punjab Kings, whereas DC perhaps have held hopes by hooks or crook but having to win every game if they are to make the playoffs. Here are the top 3 reasons why DC lost against GT.

1. Absence of Mitchell Starc

The biggest miss to DC was star pacer Mitchell Starc, who is not playing any games until his coming up World Test Championship. Starc’s removal took away the potency from the bowling attack, who had a non penetrative performance without him - and took no wickets. So it allowed the Gujarat Titans op eners, Shubman Gill and B. Sai Sudharsan easy opportunity to chase the target in lock step fashion, without losing a wicket.

2. Batting Inconsistency

While KL Rahul excelled with an unbaten century, his counterparts who were supposed to lay a strong foundation in the batting order did not, either individually as a group or as individual starters. A number like Abishek Porel, Karun Nair, and Sameer Rizvi all got stars but did not get something meaningful in runs added; this was simply batting inconsistency in the order where DC set up a below par total, where it would have been incredibly easy run down the target for GT.

Also Read: IPL 2025, Match 60: Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans Full Match Highlights

3. Lack of Support in Bowling

With Starc missing, Mukesh Kumar and Mohit Sharma became the next option bowlers, however both bowled poorly - Mukesh in four overs - 40 runs, and Mohit in two overs, 28 runs. The remedial bowling quality support meant that the Gujarat Titans openers, made easy work of the run chase as quickly as they could.

With the IPL 2025 re-commencing from Saturday, 17th May, after a week-long hiatus due to the escalations between India and Pakistan, seven teams are still in the mix for the playoff spots. This stoppage and the upcoming resumption have changed the dynamics of the tournament. It has led to an amended timetable for the remaining 17 matches. These games have been allotted to just six venues, making it an intense few days ahead for the majority of the stakeholders involved. The uncertainty about the foreign players' availability, their capable replacements, and playing form loom large before the restart.

The Delhi Capitals (DC) are to blame for their current situation in the points table. Having begun the tournament in extreme positive fashion, they lost their golden touch midway and struggled to string up winning games. They have lost the majority of their recent matches before the pause. Now, with the league resuming for the business end of the season, the team from the Capital needs to pull up their socks to have any chance of qualifying for the playoffs. Winning games can only be the way to reaffirm their stake in claiming their maiden IPL title. 

See Also: WATCH: Former India captain endorses Karun Nair as Virat Kohli’s replacement for England Test series

Here’s a look at Delhi Capitals' potential quest for a top-four finish.

Matches Played: 11, Points: 13, NRR: 0.362

Upcoming Matches: Home – GT (18^th May); Away – MI (21^st May); Jaipur – PBKS (24^th May)

Best Possible Finish: 19 points

A lucky point due to the washout against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has given Delhi a valuable point in their qualification bid. 15 points will push them into the top four only if several other results go in their favour, while 17 points could also earn them a place at the mercy of other results. The Capitals can best finish on 19 points, which would be more than sufficient to claim a playoff spot and even a top-two position. However, their remaining matches are against teams above them in the tally, and hence it's going to be very tough for DC to get favourable results. 

It's still possible for five teams to finish on 17 or more points. Wins in all three remaining matches will ensure qualification for Axar Patel's team, but that will require a huge reversal of form, given that they have only won one of their last five matches. Their talismanic speedster in Mitchell Starc, is confirmed not to take further part in the competition. Along with their batting woes, DC would also be required to sort out their bowling options to field a strong team for the pending matches.