IPL 2020 Special: Delhi Capitals (DC) Squad Rating for the season

With the highest rating in the middle-order category, let’s look at the overall squad rating of Delhi Capitals (DC) for IPL 2020.

In the process to revamp the squad under Shreyas Iyer, Delhi Capitals did a brilliant job in 2019 having qualified for the playoffs after a very long time. While they retained the core for IPL 2020, there are plenty of exciting new additions to the team that would help minimize the gaps in few categories. 

So, have Delhi Capitals got a squad that can excel in all the conditions and all types of pitches? Let’s look at our amazing article where we find the overall squad rating of Delhi Capitals for IPL 2020 considering all the categories.

Please note:

• The squad rating for IPL 2020 is calculated for five primary categories viz., Openers, Middle-order, All-rounders, Spinners, and Pacers.
• The player roles are bracketed as Main players, Good backups, and other backups, and all are being rated on a scale of 10. However, for overall rating calculation, the weighted average is taken with higher weightage given to the main players. 
• The players are relatively rated for their primary category basis their last two IPL’s performance, and/or their current International/Domestic form.
• While a player can play an additional role as ”Backup’, all categories should have a unique set of main players. 

Before we begin, let’s look at the benchmark players in our 5 primary categories against which every other player is relatively rated. 

• Opener: David Warner
• Middle-order: Virat Kohli
• All-rounder(s): Hardik Pandya and Andre Russell
• Spinner: Rashid Khan
• Pacer: Jasprit Bumrah

Alright then, without wasting any time, let’s look at the squad rating for Delhi Capitals (DC) for IPL 2020.

Openers – 8.44

Two Main Openers: Shikhar Dhawan and Jason Roy 

Good Backup Opener: Prithvi Shaw 

Other Backup Opener(s): Ajinkya Rahane and Marcus Stoinis

Delhi Capitals have some really exciting openers to choose from, and Shikhar Dhawan and Jason Roy are the team’s best two openers. Team’s primary opener, Shikhar has had a fantastic IPL 2019 amassing more than 500 runs. However, his international form has been kind of lukewarm.

Jason Roy, on the other hand, hasn’t had much game time in the IPL. But, he has been in stunning form playing for England. While Roy would find it difficult to get a game owing to team combinations, he is still Team’s second-best opener. In metrics, Shikhar Dhawan gets a rating of 8.75, whereas Jason Roy gets a rating of 8.5.

Prithvi Shaw is the team’s main backup opener, whereas Ajinkya Rahane is the other backup opener in the squad. Both, Rahane and Shaw have had a decent IPL 2019, but given Shaw’s attacking instincts, he is most likely to open alongside Dhawan in IPL 2020. In metrics, Prithvi Shaw gets a rating of 8.25, whereas Ajinkya Rahane gets a rating of 8.

Overall, DC get a cumulative average rating of 8.44 in the openers category.

Middle-order – 8.54

Three Main Middle-order Players: Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and Shimron Hetmyer. 

Two Good Backup Middle-order Players: Marcus Stoinis and Alex Carey 

Other Backup Middle-order Player(s): Ajinkya Rahane and Keemo Paul. 

This is an area where the Delhi Capitals have done a brilliant job as compared to their 2019 team. While Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant would hold the middle-order with their unique capabilities, the addition of Hetmyer has given them a solid reliable middle-order. 

Rishabh Pant has been one of the best batsmen in the last two years in IPL scoring more than 1000 runs. However, it is his International form that is a worry. Shreyas Iyer, on the other hand, had a good IPL 2018 and 2019, and had been doing quite good in the International circuit. In metrics, Rishabh Pant gets a rating of 9.5, whereas Shreyas Iyer gets a rating of 9.25.

Shimron Hetmyer has had a poor outing in his debut season, IPL 2019. As a result, he was released from the RCB squad. But, he did good playing for West Indies, and was rewarded for his consistent performances there. So, Hetmyer gets a rating of 8.25.

Coming to backups, Delhi Capitals have again done a brilliant job. They have the man in form, Marcus Stoinis along with the emerging talent of Alex Carey. Add to that, Ajinkya Rahane, who can play the dual role of opener and middle-order. Then there’s Keemo Paul, who can chip in as and when required. 

But, Stoinis has been below-average with the bat last year with RCB, Carey is yet to play IPL, Rahane is a better opener than a middle-order player, and Keemo Paul can’t be trusted for all the matches. So, Stoinis, Carey, Rahane, and Paul get a rating of 8, 6.75, 7.75, and 7.75 respectively.

Overall, DC get a cumulative average rating of 8.54 in the middle-order category.

All-rounders – 8.13

Two Main All-rounders: Marcus Stoinis and Axar Patel

Good Backup All-rounder: Chris Woakes

Other Backup All-rounder(s): Ravichandran Ashwin and Keemo Paul. 

This is an area that has seen a lot of changes in the Delhi squad as compared to their 2019 squad. Delhi Capitals recruited Marcus Stoinis and Chris Woakes for IPL 2020, which makes them the best available all-rounders in the squad alongside Axar Patel. Given their overseas combination, it is also likely that all three could play together.

While Marcus Stoinis would act as the batting all-rounder, who can give you those crucial 1-2 overs, Woakes and Axar would act as the bowling all-rounders, both of whom can be lethal down the order with their aggressive batting. So, Stoinis and Axar get a rating of 8.17, whereas Woakes gets a rating of 8.08.

Backing them are R Ashwin and Keemo Paul as valuable backups. Both are good in one aspect, but are not so good in the other aspect. Hence, in metrics, Ravichandran Ashwin and Keemo Paul get a rating of 8.07 each.

Overall, DC get a cumulative average rating of 8.13 in the all-rounders category.

Spinners – 8.02

Two Main Spinners: Sandeep Lamichhane and Ravi Ashwin

Good Backup Spinner: Amit Mishra 

Other Backup Spinner(s): Axar Patel

Except for R Ashwin, Delhi Capitals have the same spin trio of Sandeep Lamichhane, Amit Mishra, and Axar Patel. Of these four, Sandeep Lamichhane and R Ashwin look the two main spinners, but Sandeep would find it difficult to play most of the matches for Delhi Capitals.

Sandeep hasn’t played much in the IPL, but has been doing great in other T20 tournaments. Ashwin, on the other hand, hasn’t had a great IPL 2018 and 2019 as a bowler. However, he is the second-best finger spinner available in the tournament. In metrics, Sandeep gets a rating of 8.5, whereas Ashwin gets a rating of 8.25. 

The ever young, Amit Mishra is the team’s main backup spinner, while Axar Patel is the team’s other backup spinner option available. While both, Amit Mishra and Axar Patel haven’t had the bests of IPL in the last two years, the quality is still there. So, Mishra and Axar get a rating of 8.25 each. 

Overall, DC get a cumulative average rating of 8.02 in the spinners category.

Pacers – 8.3

Two Main Pacers:  Kagiso Rabada and Chris Woakes

Good Backup Pacer: Mohit Sharma 

Other Backup Pacer(s): Ishant Sharma, Harshal Patel, Keemo Paul, and Avesh Khan

Kagiso Rabada was IPL’s best pacer last year ending the tournament as the leading wicket-taker by a pacer. While his international form hasn’t been as enticing as expected, he is still a force to reckon. In metrics, Kagiso Rabada is slightly below Jasprit Bumrah with a rating of 9.25.

Supporting Rabada would be Chris Woakes if Delhi Capitals decide to play a full-strength overseas pace attack; which looks a possibility. Woakes is one of the best pacers in swinging conditions, and would find many games in Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Bangalore. In metrics, Woakes gets a rating of 8.25.

The sharmas, Ishant and Mohit would form the important backups in the team. Of the two, Ishant is slightly more potent given his successful IPL 2019 campaign. Moreover, Ishant is good for pitches that assist swing and bounce. In metrics, Ishant Sharma gets a rating of 8, whereas Mohit gets a rating of 7.5.

Delhi Capitals also have the slightly inexperienced duo of Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan alongside Keemo Paul. Harshal Patel can act as the hard-hitting bowling all-rounder for the team given his hitting ability. He has also added many bowling variations in his armoury.

Avesh, on the other hand, is talented, and is an emerging pacer. Keemo Paul with his variations would be an impactful bowler if selected. In metrics, Harshal Patel gets a rating of 7, Keemo Paul gets a rating of 7.75, whereas Avesh Khan gets a rating of 6.75. 

Overall, DC get a cumulative average rating of 8.3 in the pacers category.

Conclusion: 

Delhi Capitals get an overall squad rating of 8.3 for IPL 2020. They have a fairly balanced squad, which is almost equivalent to their squad of IPL 2019. If the players can keep their form, Delhi Capitals are set to finish in the top 4, at the least.

Thanks for reading! What is your view on Delhi Capitals (DC) squad rating for IPL 2020? Please let us know in the comments section.  

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