The leadership journey of the Delhi Capitals (DC) under many captains has been dynamic since its inception in the very first IPL season in 2008. Others struggled to find the right identity for the team, but while some of them enjoyed some consistency, others had a bad run of it. Over the years, with Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and David Warner, Delhi Capitals all captains have made great contributions to the team. The article takes a look back at the captains who have ever led the DC, as it reviews the entire leadership legacy.

Delhi Capitals All Captains Full List

1. Virender Sehwag (2008-2012)

Sehwag, one of Delhi’s most explosive batsmen, led the side in two spurts, taking them to the playoffs in 2008 and 2009. He captained the team in 52 games, won 28, and managed to keep a win percentage of 53.84%.

2. Gautam Gambhir (2009-2018)

Gambhir captained Delhi for different seasons, including 2018, when he made a brief return. He led the side in 25 matches, with 12 wins and 13 losses; his win percentage was 48.

3. Dinesh Karthik (2010-2014)

Karthik had a brief stay as captain, who captained Delhi in six matches between 2010 and 2014. He won just two of those, leaving little impact amongst the various names on the DC captain list.

4. James Hopes (2011)

The Australian all-rounder captained three matches in 2011, losing two and one did not produce a result. His captaincy was brief and largely fruitless.

5. Mahela Jayawardene (2012-2013)

The Sri Lankan great captained 18 matches and won six. His strategies kept DC competitive but they could not win a title while under his captaincy.

6. Ross Taylor (2012)

Taylor captained for only two matches in 2012, losing one, while the other ended with no result.

7. David Warner (2013-2023)

David Warner is among the longest-serving captains of the Delhi Capitals, wielding his captaincy for a decade. He captained 16 matches in the period 2013-2023, winning 5 and losing 11, giving him a win percentage of 31.25. His leadership wasn’t always accompanied by consistent victories, but David Warner had an important part to play as a crucial member of the playing XI.

Known for his aggressive batting, Warner brought a sense of unpredictability to the team and frequently took the match to the opposition. Even if the results did not reflect it during match time, he was still a valuable member of the DC side, showing guts and determination. Warner’s captaincy showed the grimness of the job in a competitive league like the IPL.

8. Kevin Pietersen (2014)

The England star took over in 2014 but struggled, winning just one out of 11 matches. His leadership stint was one of the least successful in DC’s history, making him a forgettable name in the DC captain list.

9. JP Duminy (2015-2016)

The South African all-rounder led Delhi in 16 matches, winning six. His balanced approach brought minor improvements to the team’s performance.

10. Zaheer Khan (2016-2017)

The veteran pacer captained DC in 23 matches, winning 10. His leadership brought a sense of stability but lacked the consistency required for playoff runs.

11. Karun Nair (2017)

Nair joined the DC captain list and led for just three matches in 2017, winning two. His brief captaincy stint showed promise but was too short to make a lasting impact.

12. Shreyas Iyer (2018-2020)

Shreyas Iyer took charge as captain, in 2018, for three seasons, during which the franchise went into the finals for the first time with Iyer at the helm of affairs in 2020. He has 21 wins and 18 losses in the 41 matches he rendered, with a win percentage of 51.21%. Iyer’s quiet command helped put equilibrium between youthful frippery and seasoned expertise in the overall management of the team.

Under his captaincy, DC saw a marked performance improvement and was always close to the top of the table, making him one of the finest of the Delhi Capitals all captains list. Iyer nurtured team bonding and individual player improvement, and this is exactly what marked him as a leader ingredient in having a strong team that could take on the giants of the realm.

13. Rishabh Pant (2021-2024)

Rishabh Pant was appointed Delhi Capitals captain for IPL Season 2021. With his respect for risk-taking batters as well as his aggressive captaincy style, Pant captained the side for 43 matches, winning 23, and losing 19 with a win percentage of 53.48%. Somewhat nonchalant and always ready to back his youngsters to do well, DC played great, positive cricket under his captaincy factor that imbued great team spirit among the lads.

He was a captain characterized by daring choices and an ingress of high-risk moves, often quite effective in creating bonding among players. As the person who knew to thrive in tension and set an example, Pant turned out to be a boon for the side. His captaincy was generally seen as a milestone in moving the franchise team.

14. Axar Patel (2024)

Axar took charge for a single game in 2024, ending in a loss. His captaincy remains a temporary solution while the team awaits Pant’s return.

Conclusion

The history of Delhi Capitals all captains is colored with a variety of experienced and young stars. Where in the early days, Sehwag and Gambhir would be defining years, in the new age, Iyer and Pant stabilized. On the back of that, the decisions DC makes in leadership roles will continue defining the organization as it approaches the future.