The Indian Premier League (IPL) has become a massive part of the Indian and the world cricketing calendar. It is arguably the best T20 league in the world. Almost every cricketer around the world wants to feature in the IPL and most players admit it openly that playing this franchise cricket has helped them grow as cricketers. The quality of cricket in this Indian T20 extravaganza is second to none. So what is DC full form in IPL?
Currently, the IPL consists of eight teams and DC is one of them alongside Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. The Delhi-based team were one of the worst-performing teams till the end of the 2018 season. However, they have turned things around in the last three seasons and have been very consistent.
Here, we take a look at the full form of team DC, and we also look at the year by year performance of the franchise.
DC full form in IPL
The full form of DC in the IPL is Delhi Capitals. They had a different name for the first 11 seasons and that was DD. The full form of DD in the IPL was Delhi Daredevils. Currently, Shreyas Iyer is the captain of the side. In his absence in the initial phase of the 2021 season, due to a shoulder injury, Rishabh Pant was named leader of the franchise. They have some top Indian and overseas stars in their ranks with the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Shimron Hetmyer, Steve Smith, Kagiso Rabada and Ishant Sharma in the Delhi squad.
While DC have been very consistent in the last three years, their record between 2008 and 2018 was quite poor, which reflects in their overall record. They have lost 107 matches, which is the most by any team in the history of the IPL. Their win percentage of 45.5% is the second-worst among the current eight teams.
Delhi Capitals is currently jointly owned by the JSW Group (50%) and GMR Group (50%). The current CEO is Vinod Bisht. GMR group was the sole owner for the first 10 seasons before they sold 50% of the stake to the JSW Group. Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi is DC’s home ground in the IPL.
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Delhi Capitals in IPL over the years
IPL 2008: Delhi Capitals had a solid run in the inaugural edition of the IPL. They won seven and lost six games in the league stages and managed to qualify for the semi-finals. However, they lost to eventual champions Rajasthan Royals in the semi-final.
IPL 2009: After a good debut season, Delhi Capitals backed that up with a strong performance in the 2009 season. They topped the league stages as they finished with 10 wins and four losses. But like the first season, they lost to the eventual champions Deccan Chargers in the semi-final.
IPL 2010: The 2010 season was the first time that Delhi Capitals couldn’t make it to the semi-finals. They were inconsistent throughout the tournament. They won seven and lost as many games and narrowly missed out on a top-four finish as they fell behind on net run rate and Delhi finished fifth that season.
IPL 2011: After the mega auctions in 2011, Delhi Capitals had a shuffled side and they couldn’t really step up. They had their worst finish out of the first four seasons as they ended up with the wooden spoon (10th).
IPL 2012: In the fifth edition of the IPL, Delhi Capitals bounced back in style after their worst performance in 2011. They played some magnificent cricket and topped the league stages. Out of their 16 league games, they won 11 of those games. However, Delhi couldn’t make full use of finishing in the top-two as they lost both their Qualifiers.
IPL 2013: 2013 was one of the worst seasons for Delhi Capitals. They could accumulate only three wins out of the 16 league games and lost the other 13. They finished last (9th) for the second time in three years and their slide began.
IPL 2014: If 2013 was bad, 2014 was worse. Delhi Capitals didn’t get off that last position and their win-loss record continued to take a hit as well. All they could manage was two wins from 14 league matches in the 2014 season.
IPL 2015: 2015 was slightly better for Delhi. They managed to win the same number of games that they could in 2013 and 2014 put together – five. However, their position didn’t really change too much. They finished seventh (second-last).
IPL 2016: In 2016, Zaheer Khan was roped in as captain of the side and the performance got a lot better. They were inconsistent but it was way better than the previous three seasons. Delhi Capitals finished with seven wins and as many losses. A win in their last league game could’ve taken them into the playoffs but they couldn’t win and finished sixth.
IPL 2017: 2017 was another year where Delhi Capitals were decent and had a middling finish. They won six out of their 14 league games and finished sixth on the points table for the second year in a row.
IPL 2018: Delhi Capitals were back to the bottom of the points table in 2018. Gautam Gambhir’s return as the captain didn’t help either as Ricky Ponting’s tenure as a coach started off on the worst note possible.
IPL 2019: 2019 was when the turnaround began. Midway through the 2018 season, Shreyas Iyer was made the captain and he continued in 2019. He led the Delhi Capitals into the playoffs for the first time in seven years. Delhi managed to win nine out of their 14 league games.
IPL 2020: 2020 season was the best ever for Delhi in the history of the IPL. They reached the final for the first time. They finished second on the points table in the league stages before reaching the final. However, it was Mumbai Indians who beat them in the title clash.
IPL 2021: Delhi Capitals continued their consistent run in the 2021 season. We are halfway through the 2021 edition and Delhi are at the top of the points table. They have won six out of their eight games so far.
Also Read: Know everything about Sunrisers Hyderabad
Conclusion
Delhi Capitals were one of the perennial under-achievers but they have had a big resurgence in the last few years. Ever since Delhi Daredevils turned into Delhi Capitals, the fortunes have changed and the team has performed consistently as well. They may have the most number of losses by any team in the IPL but they will be pleased with the turnaround in the last three years.
