IPL 2020: 3 Delhi Capitals (DC) Players who can win the Orange Cap in UAE | Most runs in IPL 2020
Like Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Delhi Capitals (DC) are one of the only three active teams to have never won a title in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In fact, unlike the aforementioned two teams, Delhi have never reached the IPL final and they are the only active team to never reach an IPL final.
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However, Delhi have topped the league stages twice – in 2009 and 2012. Yet, they have somehow faltered and fluffed their opportunities. Including the above two seasons, Delhi have reached the playoffs four times. In fact, between 2011 and 2018, they have finished with the wooden spoon four times.
However, a change in name in 2019 from Daredevils to Capitals worked wonders as they made it to the playoffs (and finished third) for the first time since 2012. In the auction for the 2020 season, Delhi went and bought eight players, which included three big overseas batsmen (Jason Roy, Shimron Hetmyer and Alex Carey). Delhi also have a strong Indian batting core.
Shimron Hetmyer will add some much needed firepower to the Delhi Capitals Playing XI in IPL 2020
Here we look at three players from the Delhi Capitals’ squad who can go on and win the Orange Cap in the upcoming season. No Delhi Capitals player has won the Orange Cap even once in the history of the IPL. Hence, Delhi would love to change that this time around.
Rishabh Pant
Here is a player who has been touted as the future of Indian cricket. For the last three or four years, there has been quite a bit of spotlight on Rishabh Pant. The Delhi-born lad is a talented youngster who has taken giant strides in domestic and IPL cricket. However, he hasn’t been able to crack the code at the international circuit just as yet. Pant has been more of a flash in the pan in international cricket.
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But he has been excellent in the IPL. Pant has been with Delhi for four seasons now and the left-handed wicket-keeper batsman seems to be getting better every season. In 2016 and 2017, the talent and ability was there to see but he wasn’t as consistent. Over the last couple of years, Pant has been one of the standout batters in the IPL.
The swashbuckling left-hander has scored 1172 runs at an average of 45.08 and at a strike-rate of 168.88 since the start of 2018. Only KL Rahul has scored more IPL runs than Pant in this period. In 2018, Pant was the second-highest run-getter as he smashed 684 runs and in 2019, he was seventh with 488 runs. Once again, Pant will be a big threat to the Orange Cap and this time, he might as well win it.
Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan, the T20I batsman has always been under the scanner. For some reason, he hasn’t been able to live upto the expectation and performed on the international scene in the shortest format. However, Dhawan, the IPL batsman has been pretty consistent. Yet, he isn’t really rated highly.
Over the last four seasons, Dhawan’s lowest IPL aggregate in a season is 479 runs which came in 2017. In fact, out of the three players who have more than 1000 runs in the IPL since the start of the 2018 season, Dhawan is third on that list. He averages 36.36 and strikes at 136.28.
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Dhawan has been a part of four IPL sides. He started out with Delhi and was with them for the first two seasons before he moved to Mumbai for the 2010 edition. In 2011 and 2012, he was with the Deccan Chargers before Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) took over. It was with SRH that Dhawan flourished and his partnership with David Warner was a very good one at the top. In 2019, he was traded with Delhi and played a key role in their run till the playoffs.
Last season, Dhawan was fourth on the list of most runs and this time, he might have a chance at the prize once again. This might be his season to silence his critics and prove his T20 game.
Shimron Hetmyer
This name might come as a huge surprise. However, Shimron Hetmyer does have the talent, ability and skill to top the batting charts in an IPL season. Yes, he didn’t have a great 2019 where he could muster just 90 runs in five innings, which included a 75 in the last game. Maybe, he wasn’t back enough by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
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But Hetmyer has been one of the most promising young batsmen around in world cricket. Like Pant, he has been inconsistent but has proved that he can take down any attack and can dominate. He seems to be built for T20 cricket and Delhi might just be the team he needs. Hetmyer can wreak havoc in the middle-order and may have to bat at 5 with the current Delhi batting line-up. However, he can come in at any stage and change the game.
The Guyana-born cricketer may not be the most favourite to win the Orange Cap. But if he settles down in the Delhi batting order, he could be the real game-changer and might as well contest for the Orange Cap.