IPL 2025: Delhi Capitals’ Home Ground Woes Derail Campaign
In a season that promised much, the Delhi Capitals (DC) found themselves derailed by a surprising Achilles’ heel: their inability to master their home ground at Ferozeshah Kotla in New Delhi. Arriving at their iconic stadium three weeks into the IPL 2025 season, DC had already secured four wins—two at their adopted base in Vizag and two away. With five crucial home games lined up, qualification for the next round seemed a formality. Yet, the team crumbled, managing just one victory at Kotla, and that too in a tense Super Over against Rajasthan Royals.
The root of DC’s troubles lies in an alarming lack of preparation and familiarity with their home turf. Following a massive overhaul of the coaching staff in October 2024, the team’s pre-season groundwork at Kotla was minimal. Head coach Hemang Badani, preoccupied with coaching duties at Dubai Capitals in the ILT20, alongside director Venugopal Rao and bowling coach Munaf Patel, made only a fleeting visit to Kotla in late February. Instead of acclimatizing to the unique pitch conditions at their home venue, the management opted to conduct pre-season training at co-owner GMR’s facilities near Delhi airport. Only one practice match was played at Kotla before the squad shifted to Vizag, a decision that proved costly.
Even during the season, DC’s reluctance to train at Kotla was evident. The team preferred their private facilities, where pitch conditions bore little resemblance to the notoriously spin-friendly surface at Kotla. This lack of homework on home soil became a glaring issue, especially after the mega auction brought significant changes to the squad. Familiarity with the Kotla track could have been a game-changer, but it was a missed opportunity. When approached by our team for comments on the season’s planning, Badani chose to remain silent, leaving many questions unanswered.
Compounding the issue were strategic missteps in team composition and player roles. The management’s intent to prepare drier surfaces at Kotla to favor their spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Vipraj Singh was a gamble that didn’t pay off. Mentor Kevin Pietersen, roped in at the eleventh hour, had publicly emphasized that true batters shine on challenging pitches. However, the erratic deployment of key players like KL Rahul—shuffled between opener, No. 3, and No. 4—exposed a lack of clarity in batting strategy. Pietersen’s mid-season assertion that Rahul should bat at No. 4 for India in T20Is seemed at odds with DC’s indecision on his role. Meanwhile, veteran Faf du Plessis, at 40, struggled as an opener throughout the campaign, raising eyebrows over his selection ahead of younger talents.
Youngster Abhishek Porel showed promise when pushed to open after Jake Fraser-McGurk’s poor run, delivering explosive starts. Yet, just as Porel found rhythm, Rahul was reinstated as opener, reportedly to shield him from spinners in the middle overs. Similarly, Ashutosh Sharma, who played a match-winning knock in the season opener, was underutilized, relegated to the death overs despite his potential to influence games earlier.
Leadership and bowling woes added to DC’s misery. New captain Axar Patel appeared burdened, focusing more on anchoring the middle order as a batter than leading from the front as a bowler. Underbowling himself, Axar finished with a meager five wickets and 263 runs, a far cry from his dual-threat reputation. Kuldeep Yadav, the team’s spin spearhead, was inexplicably underused in the Powerplay—a stark contrast to his impactful role in IPL 2024. Instead, his overs were scattered, diluting his potency in crucial phases.
As the dust settles on a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign, Delhi Capitals must reflect on their home ground debacle. Kotla, historically a fortress for the franchise with its tricky, turning tracks, became a house of cards this season. According to IPL statistics, DC’s win percentage at Kotla since the league’s inception stands at a respectable 52%, making this season’s solitary win in five matches an anomaly that demands introspection. The franchise’s inability to adapt to their own backyard, coupled with questionable tactical decisions, has left fans and analysts alike wondering if DC can reclaim their mojo in the seasons ahead.
In conclusion, Delhi Capitals’ IPL 2025 story is a cautionary tale of neglecting the basics. A fortress turned into a quagmire, and a team with potential fell victim to its own oversight. As they head back to the drawing board, one thing is clear: mastering Ferozeshah Kotla must be priority number one for the Capitals if they are to roar back into contention next year.