Symbol of DC

Delhi Capitals (DC)

• The Delhi Capitals are a franchise cricket team based out of Delhi in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Founded in 2008 as the Delhi Daredevils, the franchise is jointly owned by the GMR Group and the JSW Group. The Capitals appeared in their first IPL final in 2020.
• The team’s home ground is Arun Jaitley Stadium, located in New Delhi. Arun Jaitley Stadium is a cricket stadium located at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi. Established in 1883 as the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, being near the Kotla fort, it is the second oldest international cricket stadium still functional in India, after the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. DC also have the modern Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur as their second home ground.
• As a matter of felicitation, the DDCA named four stands of the stadium after former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi, former India all-rounder Mohinder Amarnath, former India opener and Delhi Ranji player Gautam Gambhir and current captain Virat Kohli. It was also decided to name the home team’s dressing room after Raman Lamba and the opposition’s dressing room after Prakash Bhandari.

Team anthems: Bollywood playback singer Kailash Kher was the artist for the team’s anthem “Khelo Front Foot Pe” which means “Play on the front foot” or “play aggressively”. The Delhi Daredevils launched their new anthem “Munday Dilli Ke” which means “The Lads from Delhi” on 5 March 2012 on YouTube.

• Their anthem for the 2016 season of IPL, titled “Dhuandaar Dilli” was released on YouTube, sung by Sukhwinder Singh. In 2018, they released yet another theme song, titled “Dil Dilli hai, ab Dhadkega”. The theme song for the 2019 season for the rechristened franchise, the Delhi Capitals was “Roar Machaa”.
• The IPL is a cricket league organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and backed by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The inaugural tournament was held in April to June 2008, in which BCCI finalized a list of eight teams who participated in the tournament. The teams represented eight different cities in India, including Delhi. The teams were put up for auction in Mumbai on 20 February 2008, and the Delhi team was bought by the property development company GMR Group for US$84 million.
• In March 2018, GMR sold a 50% stake in the Delhi Daredevils which is now called as Delhi Capitals, to JSW Sports for ₹550 crore (i.e.) US$77 million. In December 2018, the team changed its name from the Delhi Daredevils to the Delhi Capitals. Speaking to the rationale behind changing the team’s name, co-owner and chairman Parth Jindal said, “Delhi is the power center of the country, it is the capital, therefore the name Delhi Capitals.” Co-owner Kiran Kumar Grandhi said, “The new name symbolizes Delhi’s identity and just like the city, we are aiming to be the center of all action going forward.”

DC’s Jersey for 2021

Players:

• Former India Opener and Delhi local, Virender Sehwag was accorded the icon player status in the Delhi Daredevils team and was also the captain of the side during the first two seasons. However, he resigned and passed on the leadership to Gautam Gambhir for the 2010 season. But after Gambhir left the team for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the fourth edition, Sehwag was once again given the duty to captain the team.
• Since the start of the IPL in 2008, many international players such as Australian Glenn McGrath, South African batsman and part-time keeper AB de Villiers, Sri Lanka player Tillakaratne Dilshan, Australia opener and former vice-captain David Warner, Andrew McDonald, New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori, Farveez Maharoof, Dirk Nannes and Aussie opener Aaron Finch have donned the cap for the Daredevils.
• The team included Indian players like Tamil Nadu Middle-order batsman and keeper Dinesh Karthik and Yo Mahesh. In 2009, Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Malik left due to the ban on Pakistani players and Asif’s positive drug test. Aussie opener David Warner, Andrew McDonald, English Opener Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah were the new signings.
• Fast bowler Ashish Nehra came in from Mumbai Indians as a trade-off for Indian Opener Shikhar Dhawan. For IPL 2010, Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques came in from the Kolkata Knight Riders in exchange for Manoj Tiwary and Owais Shah. Wayne Parnell was purchased at the auction for US$610,000.

• In 2012, they bought Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene, Jamaican all-rounder Andre Russell, Doug Bracewell, Morne Morkel and English batsman Kevin Pietersen. The Daredevils also signed uncapped Indian all-rounder Pawan Negi, batsmen Manpreet Juneja and Kuldeep Rawal ahead of the 2012 season. The Daredevils appointed Mahela Jayawardene as vice-captain for 2012.
• Even, they made changes like these every year but they can’t able to make a mark in tournament. So, from 2018 onwards they decided to go with young players with the addition of experienced Overseas and Indians mix in the squads.
• In the mid of 2018 season, DC named the Shreyas Iyer as captain replacing Gautam Gambhir. And from then onwards different Delhi we all witnessed in IPL. In 2019 season they made to playoffs but didn’t reached the final.

Standings of Delhi Capitals from 2008 to 2020:

• In 2020, they are totally a different side compared to other seasons and reached the final and unfortunately unable to lift the trophy.
• On March 30th, 2021, Delhi Capitals officially promoted Rishabh Pant to captain of the squad after Shreyas Iyer dislocated his shoulder while fielding a ball in the ODI series against England. This season DC are looking to roar and expecting to win their maiden IPL championship. Let’s see what happens in 2021 season.