IPL 2025: From Table-Toppers To Stragglers – What Went Wrong for Delhi Capitals?

A month ago, Delhi Capitals (DC) were flying high—top of the IPL 2025 table with four wins in four games. Their brand of cricket was aggressive, calculated, and backed by high-impact performers.

But as the league stage came to a close, DC were left staring at the bottom half of the table, with just eight points from 13 matches, their playoff hopes crushed after a humbling 59-run loss to Mumbai Indians on May 21.

However, they do won their last match against Punjab Kings to finish on high but that wasn't enough for the team to make through playoffs.

The downfall didn’t happen overnight. It began, rather ironically, in their first clash against MI on April 13—losing a game they should have won. A brief spark flickered when they edged past Rajasthan Royals in a Super Over thriller, but that was as good as it got.

From five wins in six matches, DC collected just one more win from their next seven games, with a washout against Sunrisers Hyderabad being their only other point.

So, what went wrong?

1. Musical Chairs in the Opening Slot

No T20 team can afford to lack clarity at the top, and DC exemplified that chaos. They tried five different openers—KL Rahul, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abhishek Porel, Faf du Plessis, and Karun Nair—but none provided consistent starts.

In the Impact Player era, where teams seek explosive starts to dictate terms in the Powerplay, DC simply failed to capitalise. The constant chopping and changing diluted rhythm, confidence, and intent.

2. Impact Player Strategy Gone Awry

DC dabbled with the Impact Player tactic, but their implementation was reactive, not proactive. Teams like Rajasthan Royals smartly used it to gain depth and flexibility; DC, on the other hand, seemed confused.

Their approach of starting with a bowling-heavy XI when batting first made their top-order hesitant, possibly fearing early collapses without reinforcement. This led to conservative batting that didn't align with the aggressive demands of T20 cricket.

3. A Lone Star in the Bowling Galaxy

Despite having big names, the bowling unit lacked balance. Kuldeep Yadav was arguably their player of the season—15 wickets in 14 innings at a miserly economy of 6.85.

Mitchell Starc was both the match-winner and the gamble: 14 wickets in 10 games, but expensive on off days. Axar Patel offered control, but only picked up 5 wickets in 11 games.

The real issue? No fourth bowling pillar. Support seamers failed to deliver consistently, and DC puzzlingly underused T Natarajan, who bowled just one game despite proven pedigree with SRH. The collapse against MI—48 runs in the final two overs of their last match—exposed this flaw brutally. Without Starc and Axar, the attack looked toothless.

4. Failure to Adapt Mid-Season

Every successful IPL team tweaks and fine-tunes their strategy mid-season. DC stuck to plans that weren’t working, like over-dependence on overseas stars or failing to integrate match-fit Indian options. For a side with such depth and leadership experience, their tactical rigidity stood out.