Why Delhi’s IPL 2025 Campaign Is Now on Life Support

There was a time when Delhi Capitals were ringing all the bells that could lead to finally cracking the IPL code. There were flashes of brilliance, several individuals raised their hands with match-winner performances, and there was an overall vibe that exclaimed “playoff team.” And just when fans were starting to dream, that wall hit. As SRH are just around the corner, and their important remaining games against Punjab, Gujarat, and Mumbai loom ahead, the cracks are starting to show. So, what has caused this big swing in Delhi’s fortunes? Let’s investigate what is behind the scorecards.

Bowling: From Boiling Hot to Lukewarm

Delhi’s season opened up with some sensational bowling. Kip Yadav and Viraj had left batters who faced them confused during the first phase of the season. And, in the initial phase, conditions, much like the Vizag wickets, were seemingly aiding their bowling attack.

But gradually, teams managed to work them out. Batters weren’t just swinging blindly anymore – they were set and prepared. Once the opposition worked out the code on Delhi’s bowling, things started to unravel. Kip and Starc’s potency disappeared on flatter decks. Their slower-ball razzle-dazzle wasn’t landing at high-scoring venues. If Starc wasn’t getting any reverse swing or grip, the chance is that his effectiveness was significantly reduced. Long tournaments can be even more brutal, as you don’t go out of form – you go out of form, especially when predictability is more prevalent.

Also read:- Rishabh Pant’s Fight Against Form and Himself

Batting: Too Much KL, Not Enough Firepower

Delhi’s batting plan has one major flaw—it relies too heavily on KL Rahul being the glue. When he clicks, Delhi looks solid and threatening. When he doesn’t, they fall apart like a house of cards. Recently, KL has been up and down, and you can see it. Add in the disappointing returns from Fraser-McGurk—the explosive finds the year before—and the struggles at the top of the order in Delhi are clear.

Then we have the mid-order drama. Porel has hinted at some starts but is yet to finish. And the lower order? Let’s just say that if Starc is walking to the crease in the 14th over, something has gone wrong. And let’s just reinforce how KL batting at 4 seems like a tactical handbrake. Surely this team can afford to give him another opportunity—bump him up to 3 and let him anchor it. Perhaps, then, you have a platform to build from—because this Delhi line-up is surely not chasing down 220 unless something freakish occurs.

Conditions Matter (Maybe Too Much)

A Hidden but vital aspect of Delhi’s season: their performance is nearly entirely dictated by pitch conditions. Give them a slow, turning wicket and they are in the game. Put them on a flat batting paradise—like what will likely be seen in Hyderabad—and they are lost. Their inability to adapt to different conditions can be perilous in a tournament like the IPL, where conditions can turn on a dime from venue to venue.

When Delhi was going well in Vizag, it wasn’t just form – it was familiarity with the conditions as well. But cricket does not merit reward for past results. On true pitches, their bowling lacks venom and their batting lacks up. This one-dimensional reliance on conditions highlights a systematic gap: they are constructed to win some games and not any game. And in a league this competitive, it is dangerous.

As they have must-win games lined up, will they find their early-season swagger again or let their season slip away? Can they adapt quickly enough, or is this simply another Delhi campaign that has crumbled under pressure despite starting so promisingly?

Let us know in the comments – what changes would you make to get Delhi back in the win column?