A comprehensive look at every captain of Delhi Capitals from Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir to latest of DC skippers, Rishabh Pant.
Delhi Capitals (DC) is one of the teams that are yet to get their hands on the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy. The team has had several world class names, including the likes of AB de Villiers, David Warner, Gautam Gambhir, Glenn McGrath, and others, but they have somehow not been able to perform at the biggest stage.
From 2013 to 2018, DC failed to go through to the playoffs even once. In 2020, DC played in the final against Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians (MI), but lost the match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The Capitals lost to MI 4 times that season. In 2022 and 2023 as well, DC fell way short of a berth in the playoffs.
Contents
Every captain of Delhi Capitals: List of DC skippers
| Player | Span |
| Virender Sehwag | 2008-12 |
| Gautam Gambhir | 2009-18 |
| Dinesh Karthik | 2010-14 |
| James Hopes | 2011 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | 2012-13 |
| Ross Taylor | 2012 |
| David Warner | 2012-13 |
| Kevin Pietersen | 2014 |
| JP Duminy | 2015-16 |
| Zaheer Khan | 2016-17 |
| Karun Nair | 2017 |
| Shreyas Iyer | 2018-20 |
| Rishabh Pant | 2021-24 |
Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag remains the most successful skipper for the Capitals in the history of the IPL. In 52 matches that he has led in, DC have won 28 while they lost 24 games. Sehwag was a brute force in their top order and played some match-winning knocks.
He always used to keep the opponents on their toes with his attacking approach. After representing DC for the first 5 seasons, Sehwag moved to playing for the Punjab Kings in the IPL.
Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir tasted most of his success in the IPL while playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who won 2 titles under his leadership. However, he also contributed as the skipper of the Capitals. From 2009 to 2010, he led DC in a few games before making a move to KKR.
In 2018, Gambhir returned to leading DC, but passed the baton to Shreyas Iyer midway through the season. In 25 matches, Gambhir captained DC to wins in 12 of them while losing 13.
Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik also captained the Capitals in 6 matches from 2010 to 2014. In those games, DC won 2 and lost 4. In 60 games for DC, Karthik has scored 1128 runs at an average of 25.06 and a strike-rate of 126.03 with 7 half-centuries and a top score of 69 to his name.
Karthik also played for the now defunct Gujarat Lions, Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians.
James Hopes
James Hopes has captained the Capitals in 3 games, but failed to taste success even once. Under his leadership, DC lost 2 games while 1 match ended in no result. In 21 matches in his IPL career, Hopes has scored 417 runs at an average of 26.06 and a strike-rate of 136.27 with 4 fifties and a top score of 71. Hopes also took 14 wickets at an economy rate of 9.13.
Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene did not have the best of times while leading the Capitals in the IPL. In 18 games, he has led DC to wins in 6 of them. DC lost 11 games under his leadership. Although he was a class act with the bat in hand, the former Sri Lankan cricketer struggled to shine as the skipper of the Capitals.
Ross Taylor
The legendary Ross Taylor captained the Capitals in 2 matches back in 2012, but failed to secure victory. One of the games did not produce a result. Taylor, however, was an effective batter and had his fair share of success while playing in the IPL. In 55 matches, the former New Zealand batter scored 1017 runs at an average of 25.43 and a strike-rate of 123.72 with 3 fifties and a top score of 81 to his name.
All roads lead to Qila Kotla ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Zu0oZWL0kH
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 20, 2024
David Warner
David Warner won the IPL title with the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) back in 2016. But for the Capitals, he struggled to find his feet as the captain. He captained the team in a few games in 2013 before making a move to SRH.
In 2023, Warner was the skipper of DC when Rishabh Pant missed the entire season due to the injuries he sustained in an accident. Leading DC, Warner won only 5 out of 16 games while losing 11 of them.
Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen, who garnered accolades throughout his career for England, had a tough time while captaining DC in the IPL. In 2014, he captained the Capitals, who won only 1 out of 11 matches under his leadership. In 36 IPL matches in his career, Pietersen scored 1001 runs at an average of 37.07 and a strike-rate of 134.72 with a hundred and 4 fifties to his name.
JP Duminy
JP Duminy captained the Capitals in 16 matches from 2015 to 2016, but struggled. In 16 matches under his leadership, DC won only 6 games while losing 9. One match ended in no result. In 83 matches, he scored 2029 runs and picked up 23 wickets.
Zaheer Khan
Zaheer Khan, like many others, strained as the skipper of the Capitals. In 23 matches under his captaincy in 2016 and 2017, DC won only 10 of them while losing 13. Zaheer, however, was an asset for them in the bowling department.
Karun Nair
Back in 2017, Karun Nair captained the Capitals in 3 games. DC won 2 matches under his leadership while they lost 1. In 73 IPL matches across 9 seasons, Nair scored 1480 runs at an average of 24.26 with 10 half-centuries.
Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer took charge as the DC skipper midway through the 2018 season after Gautam Gambhir stepped down midway. He led until 2021 before moving to the Knight Riders. He led DC to the IPL 2020 final.
Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant took charge as the DC skipper after Shreyas Iyer left the franchise before the 2022 season. The southpaw led them in 2022 after which missed the entire 2023 season. Pant has also played some explosive knocks for DC.
