Delhi Capitals Look to Put Their Best Foot Forward
Delhi Capitals have used 20 players in IPL 2026, with seven of their eight overseas players getting a chance to showcase their skills. However, with the business end of the tournament approaching, they might finally be able to put their best XI on the park, with Mitchell Starc and Lungi Ngidi headlining the fast-bowling attack.
The Return of Ngidi and Starc
Starc joined DC late, in the last week of April, and made an immediate impact, picking up three wickets against Rajasthan Royals. Ngidi, who was going well for DC with seven wickets in seven games, has been out since April 25 after suffering a head injury while fielding against Punjab Kings.
“Lungi and all bowlers are 100% fit,” said bowling coach Munaf Patel. “He did not play the last two games because of the six-day protocol [for head injuries], but he is fully fit now. A wicket in the first six overs makes a big difference. That is why bowling in partnerships becomes very important.”
A New Plan
With Starc coming in and getting among the wickets without any settling-in time, DC hope to get their combination right, with Sahil Parakh the only player out with an injury. “Obviously, we play every match to win, but now the relaxed mode is over. If you want to qualify, you have to win all the matches,” Munaf said about DC’s position on the points table: seventh, with four wins in nine games.
“It is always difficult to fit the best combination into the XI because there are only four overseas slots. Sahil was injured, so we wanted to give Pathum [Nissanka, in the previous match] an opportunity and also have an additional bowling option. That is why we went with that combination.
The Road Ahead
The game against CSK is in Delhi, DC’s home ground, but much as Munaf would like a pitch that would bring his spin twins Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel into play, it might not happen. “We have world-class spinners in the form of Kuldeep and Axar. There is no question of them not playing. If the wickets are slow, it actually benefits us because we have quality spinners,” Munaf said.
And getting on a bit of a roll would be useful for DC. They have won four, but not more than two in a row at any stage. And now it’s getting to that stage where no quarters can be given. “Confidence always comes from winning. You cannot build confidence by losing matches,” Munaf said. “We have already moved on from the previous result [against CSK, when they lost by 23 runs]. If we keep thinking about it, it will affect us again. It is better to forget it and move forward with the right mindset.”
Rohan Kapoor is a cricket editor and sports content analyst based in New Delhi with over 6 years of experience covering IPL, T20 leagues, and international cricket. He specializes in match analysis, player statistics, and tactical breakdowns, bringing data-driven insights to modern cricket audiences across India.
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