List: All Delhi Capitals (DC) Captains in IPL History

Delhi Capitals (DC) are known for their inconsistency in the IPL. The primary reason has been the unstable leadership.

The franchise has had plenty of players lead the team, be it in a full-time capacity or a stand-in role. This, however, hasn’t helped them at all, with the trophy still eluding them.

In this article, we will look at Delhi Capitals’ captains in IPL history.

1. Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag was Delhi Capitals’ (then Daredevils) icon player. So it was natural for him to lead the team for the first time in IPL 2008.

The explosive Indian opener’s captaincy gave the Capitals a solid start in 2008. However, they struggled in the middle only to bounce back in time to qualify for the semi-finals.

The next season, DC came even better prepared. They topped the table to make consecutive semi-final appearances. But Sehwag couldn’t take the team to the final.

He missed the whole of the 2010 season, though he returned to captain in 2011 and 2012. 2011 wasn’t an ideal season for DC, but they made it to Qualifier 2 in 2012.

All in all, Sehwag’s stint was fruitful for DC. Although he failed to lift the trophy, Delhi won 28 of the 52 matches under his captaincy.

2. Gautam Gambhir

When Sehwag missed the 2010 edition, Gautam Gambhir filled in for him. While he led Delhi in a few games in 2009, this was the first time he was captaining the team in a full-time capacity.

Gambhir delivered a mixed season in 2010. DC missed out on a third straight knockout qualification by a whisker.

The left-hander then went on to lead Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). But Gambhir returned to captain Delhi one more time.

The return didn’t pan out the way he would’ve loved it to. Delhi mustered a solitary win in their first six games. So Gambhir stepped down midway through the season.

Overall, the former Indian opener led them in 21 games, with 10 wins under his belt.

3. Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik was DC’s stand-in skipper in two seasons. He first stood in for Gambhir in 2010. Karthik led the team in three games, with a lone win.

While DC let go of Karthik after the 2010 season, he was back in the team in 2014. And straightaway, he donned the captaincy hat in the absence of Kevin Pietersen.

This time around as well, the result was the same – three games and one win. In six matches Karthik led, DC managed two victories.

4. James Hopes

DC’s love affair with stand-in skippers continued in 2011. James Hopes was in charge for three games in the absence of Sehwag.

Hopes couldn’t do much as Delhi endured a poor season. His side was on the losing side in two games, while one match had no result.

5. Mahela Jayawardene

After Sehwag stepped down, Delhi brought Mahela Jayawardene as their third full-time skipper in 2013. The captaincy change didn’t go well for DC.

They perhaps had one of their worst seasons. Delhi mustered three wins, while they lost 13 games. This included two streaks of six losses each!

6. David Warner

Before his Sunrisers Hyderabad stint, David Warner was with DC. In 2013, the Australian batter stood in for Jayawardene in two games.

While DC lost both games, a decade later, he got the full-time charge. It was a forced change due to Rishabh Pant’s car accident.

Warner’s captaincy, though, didn’t work, as DC managed five victories. He skippered Delhi in 16 matches in total.

7. Kevin Pietersen

After a horrible 2013 season, DC appointed Kevin Pietersen as their fourth full-time captain. Although he missed three games at the start, KP couldn’t bring a major change.

He captained DC in 11 games and managed a solitary win. Delhi finished last on the points table.

8. JP Duminy

Another season, another captaincy change. In 2015, DC tasked JP Duminy with the captaincy job.

Things improved a bit, but it wasn’t a smooth ride at all. Duminy led Delhi to five wins out of 14 games in 2015. This brought an end to his captaincy, though he stood in for Zaheer Khan in two games in 2016.

9. Zaheer Khan

Unlike the above three captains, Zaheer Khan was given a bit of a long rope. And there was a reason behind it.

The former Indian seamer delivered a mixed season in 2016. Delhi had a brilliant start with five victories in seven matches. But things went south in the second half, with two wins to show.

DC returned the next season but had another average edition. Khan was at the helm in 11 games and managed to win four of them.

10. Karun Nair

Khan missed three games in 2017. So Karun Nair stepped in for him. He guided DC to two wins after a five-match losing streak.

11. Shreyas Iyer

Midway through the 2018 season, Gambhir handed over the captaincy to Shreyas Iyer. The captaincy change was a shot in the arm for DC.

After a poor first half, Iyer had a big task to make a turnaround. While he succeeded in some way, it wasn’t enough to lift the team from the bottom of the points table.

Nevertheless, DC performed well under Iyer’s tutelage in 2019. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Although DC couldn’t make it to the final, it was testimony to Iyer’s fine leadership skills.

The next season, Iyer came well prepared. This time around, he took the team to their first-ever IPL final. Unfortunately, the Capitals failed to overcome the final hurdle.

Iyer was all set for another season, but a shoulder injury ruled him out of the season. This prompted DC to hand over the charge to Rishabh Pant.

While Iyer returned in the second half, the team continued with Pant at the helm. In all, Iyer captained DC in 41 games, with 21 wins.