IPL: 3 most underrated Delhi Capitals players of all time
The Delhi Capitals (formerly known as the Delhi Daredevils) haven't been as successful as they'd have liked in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Out of the 12 seasons of the world's most lucrative T20 franchise league, the Delhi Capitals (DC) have made it to the knockout stages on only four occasions. They have never reached the final, despite having had some of the best players in the world in their ranks.
Poor decision-making has been the main reason behind DC's failures so far, with players of the likes of AB de Villiers, David Warner, and Glenn Maxwell not retained when they clearly should have been.
DC's underrated IPL players
Perhaps due to the big names not staying at the Feroz Shah Kotla, DC have served as a breeding ground for various young talents. Cricketers like Naman Ojha, Umesh Yadav, and Shikhar Dhawan got their starts with the franchise, albeit with varying degrees of success.
In this article, we take a look at three players in Delhi Capitals history who have slipped under the radar despite their consistent performances in the IPL.
#1 JP Duminy
JP Duminy played for the Delhi Capitals from 2014 to 2016, and was even appointed the captain for the 2015 season of the IPL. In 38 games for DC, the South African scored 1015 runs at an incredible average of 44.13 and a healthy strike rate of 130.8.
Although the franchise finished 8th, 7th, and 6th respectively in his three years, Duminy pulling out of the 2017 edition of the IPL (due to personal reasons) was a major blow to DC. The all-rounder went on to play for the Mumbai Indians in the 2018 IPL season, but his Delhi stint remains his most prolific one in the tournament.
Duminy retired from all forms of international cricket after South Africa's embarrassing exit from the 2019 World Cup.
#2 Shahbaz Nadeem
The wily left-arm spinner from Jharkhand got his big break at the Delhi Capitals, for whom he featured from 2011 to 2018. In these seasons, he picked up 40 wickets in 61 games at an excellent economy rate of 7.37, and was even nominated for the IPL Emerging Player of the Year award in 2012.
Shahbaz Nadeem has been very consistent at the domestic level, and finished as the highest wicket-taker in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 Ranji Trophy seasons. However, it took him until 2019 to make his debut for the Indian team in a Test against South Africa. This remains his only international appearance to date, although he has been called up to the T20I squad as well.
Nadeem shifted base to the Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2018 but has been a shadow of his older self. He has never featured regularly for the team that consists of excellent overseas spinners in Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Shakib Al Hasan, and really should be given more opportunities to showcase the talent he very clearly possesses.
#3 Farveez Maharoof
Farveez Maharoof joined the Delhi Capitals in the first edition of the IPL in 2008, and over only two seasons at the franchise, picked up 27 wickets at an average of 19.26. He also chipped in with 177 runs at an impressive strike rate of 143.9.
The hard-hitting all-rounder boasted of a deceptive slower ball, and finished as the second highest wicket-taker for DC in 2008 with 15 wickets to his name. Maharoof contributed to DC's success in more ways than one, evidenced by the fact that they qualified for the playoffs in both seasons that he was part of them.
The Sri Lankan has also had a decent international career, over the course of which he has played 109 ODIs and 22 Tests. Although he last played a game for his country in 2016, the 35-year-old is yet to announce his retirement. However, in all likelihood, we have seen the last of Maharoof in the IPL.
Also Read: 3 most underrated players in Sunrisers Hyderabad history