Delhi Capitals are just one win away from sealing a play-offs berth in IPL 2021 and if they do that, it will be the third season running when the Ricky Ponting-coached franchise would make it to the final four. The franchise, which was earlier known as Delhi Daredevils, has been improving rapidly and reached their maiden IPL final last season, eventually going down to Mumbai Indians in the summit clash. The team scaled new heights under the leadership of the young Shreyas Iyer. But the middle-order batsman was ruled out of the initial phase of the season, which was played in India in April-May, due to a shoulder injury. In his absence, wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant was handed the top job and the swashbuckling batsman responded in style as he led the team to the top position, before the league was postponed due to the devastating second wave of Covid-19 in India earlier this year.

The league restarted in the UAE earlier this month and that allowed Iyer to get back into the team after regaining fitness. The franchise though decided to continue with Pant as captain for the rest of the season and the performances have been as good as they were in the first half. On Tuesday Delhi had a chance to book their place in the play-offs but a loss to Kolkata Knight Riders meant they will have to wait longer.

Captain Rishabh Pant scored a steady 39 against KKR and while in the middle he broke a long-standing record of former DC captain and Team India legend Virender Sehwag. Sehwag had for long been the highest run-getter for the franchise, having scored 2382 runs in 85 innings. Pant went past Sehwag on Tuesday and now leads the chart with 2390 runs in 75 innings. Pant has registered a century and 14 fifties for the franchise so far. Sehwag, during his stay at DC, hit a century and 17 fifties.

Promoted

Shreyas Iyer is in the third position currently with 2291 runs for the franchise in 82 innings. But the man who has been in outstanding form ever since joining the franchise is Shikhar Dhawan. The veteran opener, who spent most of his IPL career in Sunrisers Hyderabad, returned to DC a few seasons back and has been a rage ever since.

Dhawan is currently on the fourth spot, having scored 1933 runs for the franchise in just 58 innings at a whopping average of 40.27. The DC team management would hope that the triumvirate of Dhawan, Iyer and Pant can fire on all cylinders in the rest of the tournament and guide the franchise to their maiden IPL title.