3 Potential Impact Player Options For Delhi Capitals In IPL 2025

Bhargav Dixit

Delhi Capitals retained five players. [Source: @IPL/X]Delhi Capitals retained five players. [Source: @IPL/X]

Although one doesn’t wish to reiterate on an annual basis but Delhi Capitals will enter another season of the Indian Premier League in the quest of winning a maiden title. Even though former captains Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant didn’t represent the franchise in 2023 and once last season, it will be for the first time since 2014 when both of them are playing for other teams.

While mega auctions usually force teams to start afresh, DC could be affected by the word “afresh” to another extent in the combined absence of Pant and Iyer, their second- and third-best captains and highest and third-highest run-scorers respectively.

In such a scenario, decision-making will have to be of first order. In addition to announcing a captain once, Capitals will also have to be at their best while announcing Impact Players throughout the season. Best possible Impact Player options are:

1. Ashutosh Sharma

For middle- and lower-order batters who have scored at least 500 runs in the last five years, Ashutosh Sharma’s strike rate of 193.50 is the highest. To cut a long story short, Delhi’s latest INR 3.8 crore recruit is made to play as an Impact Player.

Sharma, who hit 10 fours and 15 sixes across the 113 balls that he faced for Punjab Kings last season, should be given the clarity and freedom to express himself during whatever of the innings would remain during his turn to bat down the order.

Sameer Rizvi

It’s true that Sameer Rizvi failed to make a mark at Chennai Super Kings last season. But it’s also true that he didn’t allow IPL 2024 setback to affect him in domestic cricket.

A keen admirer of MS Dhoni, Rizvi led Kanpur Superstars to the final of the inaugural season of the UP T20 League. Second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, Rizvi continued his hard-hitting form by smashing the fastest double century in the U-23 State A tournament. A stellar season with the bat promoted him to lead the Rest of India U-23 squad against Punjab.

Only into his second IPL season, Rizvi would be desperate to perform in the cash-rich league especially without the price tag pressure. Assuming Ashutosh is part of the first-choice Playing XI, Rizvi has it in him to contribute as an Impact Player.

3. Mohit Sharma

Second-highest wicket-taker in the last two seasons of the IPL with an average and strike rate better than the highest wicket-taker, Mohit Sharma played 11 out of his 25 matches during these two seasons as an Impact Player. Not known for his batting, most of Sharma’s contributions have come as a death-overs specialist.

A skill that doesn’t come naturally to all bowlers, Capitals don’t have to look elsewhere regarding both excluding or including the 36-year-old player under his debatable rule.