IPL 2025: Top reasons why Delhi Capitals faltered after a promising start to the season. Delhi Capitals finished at 5th place in IPL 2025.
The Delhi Capitals (DC) started IPL 2025 with a bang, winning their first four matches and quickly emerging as serious playoff contenders. Led by the composed Axar Patel, the team appeared balanced, confident, and in control. However, as the tournament progressed, that early momentum fizzled out. The wins became scarce, the bowling faltered, and the batting crumbled under pressure.
In an unwanted turn of events, DC became the first team in IPL history to miss the playoffs after winning their first four matches. Their campaign was brought to a crushing end with a 59-run defeat to Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, confirming their exit from the playoff race.
So, how did a team that started so strong completely lose its way? Let’s see where it all went wrong for DC in the second half of the tournament.
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Blazing Start: A Powerful First Half of the Tournament
Under the leadership of Axar Patel, Delhi Capitals’ early performances were impressive. The team secured five wins in their first seven matches, showcasing a balanced and aggressive approach. Key players like Mitchell Starc and Kuldeep Yadav delivered standout performances. Starc’s death bowling and super over heroics were instrumental in tight matches, while Kuldeep’s economical bowling made him the team’s leading wicket-taker. In terms of batting, Ashutosh Sharma, Faf du Plessis, and KL Rahul stood out by scoring crucial runs in the initial matches.
Mid-Season Collapse: Bowling Woes
Delhi Capitals’ bowling looked weak throughout the tournament, both at home and outside. They lacked bowlers who could defend big totals like 200 or take wickets consistently. Starc was their standout performer early on, especially in the death overs, where he won them games with tight bowling, even in super overs. However, as the tournament went on, his impact faded. Kuldeep Yadav showed flashes of brilliance but didn’t get enough support from other bowlers. Mukesh Kumar and T Natarajan didn’t deliver as expected, and Dushmantha Chameera also failed to make an impact.
Starc took just 5 wickets in his last 5 matches, leaking over 40 runs in two of his four-over spells. Mukesh bowled poorly, taking 12 wickets in 12 matches with an economy of 10.32, and giving up 49 runs in his latest outing despite taking one wicket. Chameera had a tough time in the tournament, claiming only 4 wickets in 6 matches at an economy rate of 11.40, and was hit for 54 runs in his last match. Despite having a range of bowlers, the unit never clicked together, leading to significant struggles in their bowling department.
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Batting Inconsistencies
DC’s batting really fell apart in the second half of the tournament. KL Rahul’s shifting between the top and middle order didn’t work out, and while Faf du Plessis started strong, he faded away as the season went on. Karun Nair showed promise in his debut against Mumbai, but after that, he was pretty much absent and eventually dropped. The lower order didn’t step up either, with only a bit of support from Tristan Stubbs and Axar Patel.
While a few players like Abishek Porel showed flashes of form, they couldn’t step up when it mattered most. Ashutosh Sharma started strong with 66* in the first match but failed to build on it, scoring just 204 runs in 12 matches at an average of 29.14. The lack of finishers and inconsistency in key moments really hurt them.
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Strategic Missteps
Delhi’s constant chopping and changing at the top of the order really threw the team off balance. The lack of a settled opening pair made it tough to build momentum, and experiments like pushing Karun Nair up the order to open with Faf du Plessis didn’t pay off, in fact, they often led to early wickets and shaky starts. On top of that, not bringing in a replacement for Harry Brook, who withdrew before the season began, left a glaring hole in the middle order that the team never quite managed to fill. All these factors combined to disrupt the team’s rhythm and contributed to repeated batting collapses.
Conclusion
Delhi Capitals’ IPL 2025 campaign started with a promise to book a playoffs berth but ended in disappointment. Despite a strong first half, the team fell apart due to weak bowling performances, inconsistent batting, and poor tactical decisions. Mitchell Starc and Kuldeep Yadav couldn’t carry the bowling alone, while the batting unit lacked depth beyond a few key players.
This season is a reminder that early success means little without consistency and adaptability. DC must now reassess their squad, fix the gaps and rebuild with intent. Only then can they avoid repeating past mistakes and emerge stronger in the next campaign.
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