New Delhi: Delhi Capitals’ (DC) campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 has truly been a heart-rate monitor with the icon moving upward and downward at an equal capacity. Lately, the team has been on a dismal run despite their strong batting and bowling lineup, as they went down against Gujarat Titans (GT) by 10 wickets on Sunday to endure their fifth defeat of the season and a third consecutive one.
The recent losses have severely dented their hopes of a playoff qualification, which once looked assured when they were on a rampant run of winning four games in succession. Their Sunday night loss has paved the way not just for the Titans but also for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) into the playoffs. With three spots now already acquired, DC will be in a fight for the final playoff berth with Mumbai Indians (MI) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Starting their campaign with a victory, they went on to win three more games before losing their first, and followed it up with a nail-biting Super Over win as well. This was followed by another loss and a win afterward, before the three-match losing streak. All in all, DC’s first five games yielded four wins and a loss, while their last seven games brought just two wins and four losses with one no-result game.
While teams utilise the home advantage to their advantage in winning the contests, this hasn’t been the case for DC. In the five home games out of 12 so far, DC lost four times and only won the Super Over clash. Meanwhile, at other venues where they played the remaining seven games, they claimed five matches with just one defeat and a no-outcome clash. The loss against GT on Sunday was also their third 10-wicket defeat in the IPL.
Nonetheless, the picture now largely involves DC with MI and LSG as they all will be up in a battle for the fourth and final playoff spot. So what are DC’s chances of ousting the other two teams and barging into the top four? As it turns out, it all depends on one upcoming clash!
All eyes on MI vs DC
The upcoming encounter between MI and DC, scheduled for May 21 in Mumbai, will have many eyes glued on it. If MI claims the match, they will be qualified for the playoffs, and DC will be eliminated, considering LSG also loses against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on May 19. But if DC wins the encounter, their quest for the fourth playoff spot will continue till Saturday, May 24, when DC will face PBKS in Jaipur.
A win against the Punjab side will surely boost their chances, but if LSG manages to win their SRH clash, it might be a tough tussle between them and DC, considering MI loses their final league clash against PBKS on May 26. With two games each remaining for DC and MI, they can get to a maximum of 18 and 17 points respectively, while LSG, which has three matches left, can still get to 16 points, the bare minimum for a qualification. The road ahead is getting quite exciting!
DC started their IPL 2025 campaign on a bright note with four wins on the trot but faltered in the second half, severely denting their playoffs hopes. They are currently in a precarious spot with only a place left to be filled. Can they qualify? Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
