The Delhi Capitals selected a well-rounded team in the 2022 mega auction in an effort to overcome their title-winning streak in the 15th Indian Premier League (IPL). Midway through the season, COVID-19 shocked them, though. Despite this, Rishabh Pant and company played some outstanding cricket to go to the playoffs.
Unfortunately, Capitals fell to Mumbai Indians in their final group-stage match, missing out on a playoff spot by the narrowest of margins. They were forced to settle for fifth place. The team management would attempt to make the required adjustments to their squad as the mini-auction for the following season drew near. Players who have performed poorly for the team may see their names removed off the roster.
Top Players who might get released
Mustafizur Rahman
In the game’s shortest version, Mustafizur Rahman has been a titan of a player. He has taken 256 wickets at an economy of 7.35 in 200 T20 games played. The left-arm pacer was signed by Delhi Capitals to diversify their pace assault.
Mustafizur performed admirably over his eight games for the team, taking eight wickets at an economy rate of 7.63. Nevertheless, the Bangladesh pacer was left off the team as Anrich Nortje returned from injury.
Additionally, Khaleel Ahmed’s spectacular performance with the ball—picking up 16 wickets in ten games—meant that the XI’s requirement for a left-arm seamer was met. Therefore, Mustafizur’s assistance was not needed in the later stages of the contest.
Tim Seifert
Tim Seifert has a record of accomplishment of success in the T20 league. In the shortest format, he has played in 159 games and scored 3143 runs at a strike rate of 125.56. The Delhi franchise drafted the wicketkeeper hitter into the side for the 2022 season after he demonstrated his ability to destroy even the finest bowling attacks.
Because David Warner missed the first few games of the season, the Kiwi batter had a chance to highlight his talent. Nevertheless, Seifert was unable to capitalize on his opportunities and could only manage 24 runs in two appearances with a strike rate of 126.32. The 27-year-old was dropped from the side and not selected again after Warner was back in the equation.
Seifert has not been at his best lately. He got 221 runs in ten games for Trinbago Knight Riders in the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League 2022, albeit with a dismal strike rate of 93.24. DC might decide to split ways with the batter who is out of shape and search the mini auction for a better option.
Mandeep Singh
Since 2010, Mandeep Singh has been active in the IPL. In 108 T20 matches, he has scored 1692 runs at a strike rate of 124.32 while participating in the sport. The 30-year-old showed off his batting prowess in a few of seasons, but he has often struggled with consistency.
At the huge auction in 2022, the Delhi franchise selected the seasoned batter, giving Mandeep a wonderful opportunity to make amends. But the Punjabi-born player struggled mightily with the bat, managing just 18 runs at a dreadful strike rate of 78.26 in the three games he played.
Despite his unsuccessful outings, Mandeep was not offered a longer rope. The Punjab batter may be released by the Capitals in the run-up to the next auction because he was unable to capitalise on his opportunity. Additionally, Delhi has people like Yash Dhull and Ashwin Hebbar in their ranks, and their stock has been rising, which may mean that Mandeep’s departure is inevitable.
Chris Wokes
Although Chris Woakes did not play in IPL 2020, Delhi Capitals decided to keep the English cricketer for IPL 2021. Woakes, who has participated in 18 games over the course of two IPL seasons and claimed 25 wickets, will be playing in his third IPL season. The right-arm pacer, who can also bat, is eager to have a successful season with the Delhi team. Delhi will realize him from the team.
K.S Bharat
K.S. Bharat has shown himself repeatedly in the local Indian circuit. In 82 First Class games, he has scored 4425 runs at an average of 37.50. During IPL 2021, the Andhra Pradesh batter demonstrated that he possesses the necessary skills to be successful in the T20 format as well. The 29-year-old has scored 191 runs in eight games for Royal Challengers Bangalore with a strike rate of 122.43. The Delhi franchise chose Bharat to enhance their Indian batting lineup. He failed to make the starting lineup for the remainder of the season, though.
Even in upcoming seasons, Bharat’s chances of making the starting XI are exceedingly small considering DC’s top order include elite batters like Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, and Mitchell Marsh. Additionally, during the 2022 season, the wicketkeeper batter only managed to score eight runs in two games, which did not help his argument. It was therefore easy to see the think tank release Bharat prior to the mini auction.
