Delhi Capitals announce sister teams for UAE and South African T20 leagues
Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Capitals (DC) have announced two sister teams for the upcoming UAE and South African T20 leagues, the franchise confirmed on Tuesday (July 26).
The global footprint of the IPL began when Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals bought teams in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). The IPL franchise owners have now bought all six teams in South Africa's new T20 league, the inaugural edition of which is scheduled for January 2023.
JSW Group, who own the Capitals franchise, have managed to bag teams from Dubai and Pretoria in the upcoming two T20 leagues. The Capitals took to their official social media handles to share the news with fans.
DC tweeted a photo, captioning it:
"The DC Universe grows 💙 The Capitals Family goes global. It gives us great pleasure to present the 'Dubai Capitals' and the 'Pretoria Capitals' 🫶🏼 @gmr_sports @jsw_sports #ILT20 #CSAT20League @uaecricketofficial @cricket_south_africa."
The DC Universe grows 💙
The Capitals Family goes global. It gives us great pleasure to present the 'Dubai Capitals' and the 'Pretoria Capitals' 🫶🏼
@sports_gmr @jswsports
#ILT20 #CSAT20League
@EmiratesCricket @OfficialCSA https://t.co/XtGIBrd2TI
This will be the first time Delhi Capitals will go global. They will aim for nothing short of titles when these two tournaments get underway after their difficult time in the IPL. They are among a handful of teams that are yet to lift the prestigious IPL trophy since its inception in 2008.
Delhi Capitals' journey in the IPL
The Delhi franchise was initially owned by GMR Group, who bagged the team ahead of the start of the million-dollar competition. In March 2018, GMR sold a 50% stake in the Delhi Daredevils to JSW Sports. The team then changed its name from the Delhi Daredevils to the Delhi Capitals.
Their best season came in 2020 when they made it to the final but lost to the Mumbai Indians by five wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Last season, the Rishabh Pant-led Delhi side finished fifth in the points table and failed to make it to the playoffs. The Ricky Ponting-coached side will look to bounce back next year and win the title.