2 min readMar 14, 2026 06:03 PM IST
Delhi Capitals started well in IPL 2025, but midway through the campaign, they lost their bearings and began to lose too many games in the crucial phase of the tournament, ending short of the points needed for the playoffs. Part of the reason for their woes in the second half can be attributed to the chopping and changing. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra pointed this out and said KL Rahul’s batting number has been inconsistent.
“The success formula of teams is to hit the ground running. As soon as the first match happens, you play your best XI, and you stick with it for the longest period of time. You find that kind of consistency in trophy-winning seasons. Their challenge will be, what is their opening combination? Who are your two openers?” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“Last time as well, they started with KL Rahul down the order, and then brought him up the order. By the time they reached the business end, they were still searching for what the right thing was. A challenge for this team would be deciding what is right as soon as the season starts,” he added.
In addition to the batting Capitals also struggled with the bowling, and Chopra pointed at the Indian pace contingent. “The Indian pace contingent looks slightly 50-50. It’s unclear whether they will go this way or that way. T Natarajan was injured last year. So he didn’t play much cricket. Now he has started playing, but there will be a question on his form,” he said.
“They have kept Auqib Nabi Dar. He is coming after taking more than 95 first-class wickets and doing well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and I am really looking forward to seeing him bowl, but he is untested at this level as of now. Mukesh Kumar is good, but he can leak a lot of runs,” Chopra observed.
