Delhi Capitals, who previously went by the name of Delhi Daredevils, have experienced one of the highest leadership turnover ratios in IPL history. They have had many international superstars in their roster as well as participated in the finals in 2020 but haven’t been able to clinch the elusive IPL trophy yet.
Leadership has played a crucial role during the journey. From having Virender Sehwag in the first season to Axar Patel taking over in 2025, many players donned the captaincy cap. Some served for longer durations while others got the role as temporary replacements.
Here’s a brief overview of the captains of Delhi Capitals through the years.
Virender Sehwag
As an icon player of the Delhi team, Virender Sehwag was the first-ever captain in the franchise. His aggressive approach translated well into the team’s early campaigns. Delhi reached the semi-finals in both 2008 and 2009, although Sehwag could not take them into the final. After missing the 2010 season, he returned as captain for the 2011 and 2012 editions. The latter campaign saw Delhi reach Qualifier 2. Overall, Sehwag led the side in 52 matches and recorded 28 victories.
Gautam Gambhir and Dinesh Karthik
Gautam Gambhir took over when Sehwag was unavailable in 2010. Delhi narrowly missed the playoffs that year. He returned to captain the franchise again later, but stepped down after the team won only once in its first six matches.
Dinesh Karthik also had two short spells as captain. He first stood in for Gambhir and later took charge again in 2014 when Kevin Pietersen was unavailable. Across six matches as skipper, Karthik’s record included two wins.
James Hopes and Mahela Jayawardene
Australian all-rounder James Hopes briefly led Delhi during the 2011 season, taking charge of three matches. Delhi lost two, while the other ended without a result. Mahela Jayawardene became the team’s next full-time captain in 2013. Unfortunately, his campaign was difficult, with Delhi winning only three of their 16 matches and finishing near the bottom of the standings.
Kevin Pietersen, JP Duminy and Zaheer Khan
Kevin Pietersen was appointed captain in 2014 but managed only one victory from 11 games. Delhi subsequently handed leadership responsibilities to JP Duminy in 2015. Duminy won five of 14 matches.
Zaheer Khan then took over in 2016 and guided Delhi to a strong start, with five wins from their opening seven games. Their form declined later in the tournament, however. He remained captain in 2017, winning four of 11 matches.
Karun Nair briefly replaced Zaheer when the latter was unavailable, winning two of the three games he captained.
Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer’s appointment in 2018 proved to be an important turning point. He replaced Gambhir midway through the season and gradually helped establish greater stability.
Under Iyer, Delhi returned to the playoffs in 2019, ending a long wait since 2012. The following year brought an even bigger achievement as Delhi reached their first IPL final in 2020.
Iyer captained Delhi in 41 matches and won 21 of them. A shoulder injury ruled him out of the 2021 season, leading to another change at the top.
Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant was handed the captaincy in 2021 and immediately guided Delhi to another playoff appearance. The franchise retained him as skipper in 2022, although the campaign ended without another knockout appearance. Pant missed the 2023 season following his accident but returned as captain in 2024. Delhi finished sixth that year. After four seasons associated with Pant’s leadership, the franchise moved in a different direction before the 2025 season.
Pant finished his captaincy stint with 23 wins in 43 matches.
Axar Patel
With Pant no longer leading the team, Delhi needed a new full-time captain for 2025. The franchise turned to experienced all-rounder Axar Patel, making him the latest player to take responsibility for the side.
Axar’s appointment represented another chapter in Delhi’s long search for leadership stability. The franchise has had numerous captains since 2008, but none has yet delivered the IPL trophy.
For a team that has reached the final and made several playoff appearances, finding a captain capable of providing consistency over multiple seasons could prove crucial to Delhi Capitals’ quest for their first championship.
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