Indian Premier League is not just a cricket tournament, but an emotion for the fans of the sport. Several franchises are a part of this cricket festival,one being Delhi Capitals (DC), which made a big time in IPL 2021. They ruled the edition and successfully made their way to the top, however the team suffered towards the end.
If we look back to the retention list of DC, the franchise has made some delectable picks. They decided to rope in Rishabh Pant, as their captain and Player 1, who costed them a whopping ₹16 crore. Axar Patel was also chosen as their left-arm spinner, charging them ₹9 crore. Following these, Prithvi Shaw and Anrich Nortej became a part of the team with a deal of ₹7.5 crore and ₹6.5 crore respectively. Along with the above names, they released the names of some other hit players like Shikhar Dhawan, former captain Shreyas Iyer, Shimron Hetmyer, Steve Smith, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Kagiso Rabada. Looking forward to which other players then can target during the upcoming IPL mega auctions, we have jotted down 5 big names that DC can definitely go put their money on! Have a look:
1. Marcus Stoinis
Marcus Stoinis rose high as a cricketer and proved his worth after a crucial match for Australia, in T20 World Cup campaign. His unbeaten 24 against South Africa at the start of the tournament and his 40* in the semi-finals talk a lot about him as a player of the sport. For the unversed, Marcus is a decent fifth bowler. The player has been a part of the franchise before he was released, hence DC can bet on this one for sure. He will definitely add a worth if understood his field of specialisation. In IPL 2021, he scored only 89 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 123.61 and claimed two wickets. Marcus holds a worth of 6-8 crore.
2) Quinton de Kock
South African player Quinton De Kock, can be a perfect pick for DC at the auctions. A wicketkeeper-bat, Kock can open the innings and keep wickets too. The Proteas opener did not have a great run in the T20 World Cup and was also embroiled in the knee-taking controversy. Later, the star player was released by MI after an underwhelming season. One of the reasons that he is a big yes is that he brings along the experience and great big-hitting ability. Quinton holds a worth of 3-4 crore.
3) Kagiso Rabada
With the retention list, we could see that DC went forward with Nortje over Rabada. However, the franchise must think on betting for Kagiso Rabada at the upcoming auction. He is a proven performer with the ball and before IPL 2021, he was their standout performer in the preceding two seasons. If he gets his yorkers and bouncers right, few batters can keep them out. The cricketer holds a worth of around 3-4 crore.
4) Nitish Rana
DC had to let go off Steve Smith from the team, because they couldn’t make the best out of him. However, to fill in the shoes of Steve, they could target Nitish Rana at the auction, who has played the role of a floater for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021. He kick started the innings in the first half and moved to the middle-order in the second, after Venkatesh Iyer was drafted in and made an impression in both roles. Nitish can turn his arm over as well, and he holds a worth of 1-2 crore.
5) Mitchell Santner
The franchise can decide to pick left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner at the upcoming auction. The player works well to the Indian conditions, hardly goes for more runs, and is a handy bat down the order as well. Adding him in the team can prove to be of huge versatility to the DC lineup, which will also add options when looking to select an XI. The cricketer holds a worth of 1-2 crore.
