IPL 2025: What is it that Delhi Capitals are doing right this season?

It’s early days in the IPL but after the first two weeks, Delhi Capitals have hit the much-needed early momentum — winning all their three games to be on top of the table. There is a logjam of teams on four points after that with little to choose from, though Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings look the two other most improved teams.

Just as they say that a winning team is never short on team spirit, they are also seen as doing everything right — well, almost. If beating the once invincible Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk after 15 years on Saturday was a big morale booster, what actually spurred the relatively lightweight side on paper was the start they got by chasing down a 200-plus total against Lucknow Super Giants.

What is it that the Capitals, under the new rotational management this season, have got right? The decision to elevate Axar Patel, now the vice-captain of India’s T20 team and one of the unsung heroes for their World T20 win last year seems to be boding well. While one can’t vouch for the fact that Axar was the original choice, the Indian core of the team seems to have developed an extra zing under his somewhat informal and relaxed style.

In the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the IPL, the coaches and mentors often assume a key role in managing expectations and the duo of Ricky Ponting-Sourav Ganguly had done that during their initial years till the Capitals’ performance began floundering. The writing was on the wall that heads would roll as Ponting was dismissed by the GMR-powered management and Ganguly sidelined with the responsibility of their women’s team in the WPL.

The choice of new incumbents — Hemang Badani and Venugopal Rao as the head coach and director, respectively — raised eyebrows while the appointment of the effervescent Kevin Pietersen as mentor was seen as a move to offset for the lack of big names among the support staff. However, it’s the low-profile duo of Badani and Rao who are having the last laugh, though they are well aware of the long haul ahead.

Speaking about their winning momentum, former international Badani told the Capitals website: ‘’We are happy as a side to take the three wins. But at the same time, we all know that there is still a lot of cricket left. I have also been a cricketer and I have seen a lot of ups and downs in life. We have won all three matches but there is no excitement. We are still humble and grounded. We want to keep playing good cricket.’’

How has the former Tamil Nadu batter’s life been in the new role? Badani said: “It’s been about 8–10 years of putting in the hard yards starting from the TNPL, moving through the IPL, SA20, ILT20 and now taking charge as Head Coach in the IPL. I’ve gradually gone up the ranks. I am glad that GMR and JSW at DC gave me this opportunity to be at the top of things at DC. I am enjoying it so far.’’

The squad has turned to be an interesting mix of youth and experience which is paying off, be it K.L. Rahul’s sublime 77 off 51 balls as an opener on Saturday which won him Player of the Match, or Mitchell Starc’s five-wicket haul in the second game. At the other end of the spectrum, the unheralded Ashutosh Sharma’s 66 off 31 balls against LSG or the emergence of Vipraj Nigam is highlighting the youth quotient.

New dad Rahul invited a lot of pressure on himself in the last two cycles of the IPL, trying to strike a balance between his roles of that of the main run-getter and captain for Punjab Kings and LSG, respectively. The manner of departure from LSG last year is believed to have made him averse to IPL captaincy, which means he can focus on his batting and keeping if needed.

The senior India star, by his own admission, said that while he was mentally ready to occupy the number four spot (after England batter Harry Brook opted out due to personal reasons), going back on top of the order suited him. He took the role of a batting leader as others played around him and going forward, it could be a logical role for him.

It's a job well begun for DC!