The Delhi Capitals started the 15th season of the Indian Premier League as one of the league’s most consistent clubs, having made the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons. They were not at their best, though, and faltered at critical points in the tournament. As a consequence, DC concluded the league stage in fifth place.
Despite a dismal season, the Delhi franchise trusted the bulk of its players to perform well in the 16th IPL season and let just five players go. They strengthened their squad by recruiting top-tier players during the IPL 2023 auction.
DC is packed with match-winners, but the club management would be unable to offer chances to every player on the roster. When a result, as Delhi strives for triumph in the next season, some players may be benched for the duration of the competition.
Here are three DC players that may be benched for the whole 2023 season.
Number 1. Ishant Sharma
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Ishant Sharma has a track record of success in the game’s longest format. The 24-year-old has played 105 Tests and has 311 wickets at an average of 32.40. In the Indian Premier League, though, he has not been at his best.
The ace pacer has 84 scalps in 104 matches at an economy rate of 7.96. However, Ishant provides a plethora of expertise to any team, which is why the Delhi Capitals signed him for the 2023 season. However, breaking into the starting XI will be difficult for him.
DC has access to top Indian pacers like as Chetan Sakariya, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, and Kamlesh Nagarkoti. With so much depth in Delhi’s Indian fast-bowling department, Ishant might spend the whole 16th IPL season warming the bench.
Number 2. Rilee Rossouw
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Rilee Rossouw has been a titan of a player in the game’s shortest format. For pleasure, the 33-year-old has put on a show of his swashbuckling stroke play and decimated bowling assaults. He has appeared in 278 T20 matches, scoring 7005 runs with a strike rate of 142.90.
Rossouw was in fine form leading up to the IPL 2023 auction, having scored 372 runs in 11 T20Is in 2022, and the Delhi Capitals recruited him to improve their batting line-up. However, considering the side’s makeup, the South African batter may not make the starting XI.
David Warner, Marsh, and Anrich Nortje are the expected first-choice foreign choices for Delhi in IPL 2023. Given that Rishabh Pant will miss the next season, the think tank may put Phil Salt in the middle order to cover the wicketkeeper vacancy in the squad, securing the fourth overseas berth.
Furthermore, if the think tank chooses to give Sarfaraz Khan the gloves and leave Salt out, Rovman Powell might be named to the XI after performing well as a finisher last season, hitting 250 runs in 14 matches with a strike rate of 149.70. As a result, Rossouw seems to remain on the bench for the rest of the season.
Number 3. Lungi Ngidi
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In the T20 circuit, Lungi Ngidi has been a reliable name. He has played 98 shortest-format matches and taken 139 wickets at an economy rate of 8.07. The ace pacer has made the ball speak at the start of the innings and has also been flawless at the tail end.
The 26-year-old has also performed well on the international stage, taking 58 wickets in 36 T20Is at an economy of 8.91. Ngidi was signed by the Delhi Capitals in the 2022 super auction to bolster their bowling lineup. However, with Nortje and Mustafizur Rahman also in the mix, he did not get a single game.
Given the presence of the team’s star international pacers, they are expected to be higher in the pecking order. Furthermore, with Pant out for the season, Salt is expected to take up an overseas spot, which means Ngidi may have to wait to make his debut for Delhi.
