Delhi Capitals to don special rainbow jersey in final game against CSK

Delhi Capitals (DC) will sport their unique rainbow-themed jersey for their final game of the season against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Delhi on Saturday, May 20.

The franchise has donned the jersey for one game every season since 2020 to celebrate India's diversity.

Last season, the players wore the jersey to kickstart the second half of their campaign against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), after which they were auctioned to help raise funds for the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) in Vijayanagar, Karnataka.

The franchise began this tradition in IPL 2020 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and sported the jersey against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2021.

The franchise took to its social media handle to announce the team sporting the special jersey in the hope of a colorful ending to the season.

Ending our #IPL2023 campaign on a 🌈 note!

Our boys will be donning these special threads in our last home match of the season at #QilaKotla!

#YehHaiNayiDilli #DCvCSK https://t.co/UuvM51Yo8R

The Delhi Capitals have endured a miserable season in this year's cash-rich league, with just five wins in 13 games. They were the first team to be eliminated from the playoff race. Despite winning the previous encounter against the Punjab Kings (PBKS), they are second to bottom on the points table.

While the team has had many areas of concern, their batting has been the biggest letdown throughout the season, with only skipper David Warner in the top 30 of the Orange Cap list.

After three consecutive seasons of qualifying for the playoffs, the last two seasons have been major disappointments for DC as they continue to strive for the elusive silverware.

"Coach and mentors will be asking where these Delhi Capitals were" - Pragyan Ojha on the DC batting performance after the win over PBKS

Former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha felt that the Delhi Capitals batters played freely and expressed themselves thanks to the stakes of playoff qualification being removed against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Dharamsala on May 17.

After struggling with the bat throughout the season, Delhi smashed 213/2 in their 20 overs against PBKS, a game after they were eliminated from the playoff race.

Speaking to Jio Cinemas after the PBKS win, Ojha said:

"Coach and mentors will be asking where these Delhi Capitals were. The way they batted, the way Prithvi Shaw did it, the way David Warner did, and later when Rilee Roussow did it. I think, from what I see, when the pressure was on, they were playing differently. Now that the pressure is off and they’re not in the race in the tournament, we’ve gotten a chance to see different kind of batting from them."

Skipper David Warner and fellow opener Prithvi Shaw provided an excellent start with a 94-run opening partnership, followed by a scintillating 37-ball 82 from Rilee Rossouw.

Despite the batting display, DC struggled with the ball and in the field with many dropped catches but managed to hold on for a 15-run victory.

The Delhi Capitals will take on CSK in their final game of the season at home on Saturday, May 19.