New Delhi: As you walk through the packed streets outside Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium, the vibe is unmissable, with a sea of supporters in blue hustling to gain entry inside the premises ahead of Delhi Capitals’ (DC) home game against the Gujarat Titans. There is a sense of excitement and optimism among the supporters this year after what has been a terrific start for the home team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
A city that has stood the test of time, Delhi’s ‘never-say die’ attitude resonates well with the ardent supporters of the Delhi Capitals, the city’s very own IPL franchise. A team that has been in existence since the inception of the IPL but has yet to taste glory. But despite their topsy-turvy run over the years, Delhi’s love for the team has only grown stronger.
Arpit, who wasn’t even born when the IPL came into existence, has grown up a Delhi Capitals fan, thanks to his father Aniket Narang – a true ‘Delhi wala’, and a die-hard Delhi fan. For Aniket, Delhi’s golden period was the first couple of seasons of the Daredevils’ (DC’s former name) era in the IPL, when local lads Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir donned Delhi colours.
Sehwag being one of his favourites, Aniket enjoyed his swashbuckling style and believes the former India opener was among the few ahead of their time, who were playing the T20 brand of cricket even before the arrival of the shortest format. For Aniket, it was natural to pass down the fandom to the next generation.
Thanks to his passion for the game and the Delhi Capitals, the loyalty was passed down to his son Arpit, who too fell in love with the team. For the father-son duo, it is an annual ritual to watch at least one Delhi home game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The annual visit, Aniket believes, is also crucial for Arpit, who is an aspiring cricketer and trains at a local academy.
Aniket, whose lifelong regret remains not being able to see Virat Kohli play for Delhi in the IPL, believes DC now finally has a team capable of challenging for the title. DC have one of the most balanced squads in the ongoing season and have already shown what they are capable of with two straight victories in their first two games of the season.
“I think they have all bases covered this time around. There are the likes of KL Rahul, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs in our batting line-up, and we also have someone like Sameer Rizvi stepping up. Our pace attack will only get stronger when Mitchell Starc returns, and with Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel in our team, we have one of the best spin attacks. I believe it will be a big let-down if we don’t make it to the final and challenge for the trophy this year,” says Aniket.
Rizvi, a rising star for DC, has made heads turn with his performances in the first two matches of the season. The UP batter has displayed incredible composure and class with back-to-back match-winning half-centuries. Rizvi scored an unbeaten 70 to guide DC home in a tricky chase against Lucknow Super Giants in their opener before smashing a brilliant 90 against Mumbai Indians to help his team clinch their second win in a row.
The swashbuckling batter has already become one of the fan favourites with his exploits this season. “I think Rizvi has class and the ability to play big shots. We have finally found someone after Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, who can bat in the top four and do well. I have high hopes from him and hopefully he can continue doing what he has done so far this season,” said Aniket.
However, for his son, KL Rahul remains the most important player in the squad, and he believes the experienced opener will have to fire at the top if DC are to fancy their chances of lifting their maiden title. Arpit, 15, a Gen Z fan, also has high expectations from Tristan Stubbs, who has become one of his favourites in the last couple of seasons.
“I am a big KL Rahul fan, and I like his batting a lot. If Rahul can have a good season, then Delhi’s chances will become even stronger with the kind of team we have. I also like Tristan Stubbs a lot, and I feel he can help us win the title if our top order does well,” Arpit explains.
‘The best squad we have had in a long time’
For 29-year-old Rishabh, a techie by profession, Delhi Capitals is more than just a team. A Delhi boy through and through, Rishabh has been following his home team since the start of IPL in 2008 and has been through the emotional roller-coaster ride of supporting the franchise through thick and thin. He believes DC have the best squad that they have had in a long time.
Still angered over the franchise’s decision to let go of Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh feels the management has finally made some course correction by focusing on all departments. He believes DC have the best chance to finally end their title curse this season and is hopeful of Mitchell Starc joining soon to further strengthen the team.
“I think the squad we have now is one of the best we have had in a long time. I think the last time we had such a good squad was when we had Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant in the team. I am still angry over the team letting go Iyer, it was a horrible decision. But I feel we have moved on and done well to build a squad that can win the trophy,” said Rishabh.
“I am hoping for Mitchell Starc to join soon, which will help us become even stronger. Honestly, if we don’t win it this year, I feel we are cursed, and we might never win the IPL,” he added, echoing the emotions of a true Delhi fan.
Will this be Delhi Capitals’ year in the IPL?
Delhi Capitals certainly have what it takes to win their maiden IPL title this year, but this is not the first time they have had a great squad in place. They have had strong teams in the past but have failed to go the distance, falling off after strong starts. The Axar Patel-led side will have to attain consistency and play to their potential if they are to end their title curse in IPL 2026.
They have one of the best bowling attacks in the tournament, with the likes of T Natarajan, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Lungi Ngidi and Mukes Kumar in their attack. With Starc soon to join, the bowling attack will become even more lethal. However, their batting has apparent issues, and the failure of the top order has not helped their cause.
Rahul has failed to deliver in the first two games, raising questions about his form. Axar is yet to contribute with the bat and the lower middle order remains untested. DC will hope for Rahul to get back among the runs in Rizvi to continue his solid form at no.4 to ensure they manage to sustain the momentum throughout the season and enjoy a breakthrough campaign.
For it is only deserving for the passionate Delhi supporters that their team continues the trend of IPL having a new winner after RCB ended their 18-year-long drought last season.