WPL 2025: SWOT Analysis of Delhi Capitals

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is all set to get underway from the 14th of February 2025 with five teams clashing for the elusive cup. The runners up from the past two seasons, Delhi Capitals, will be eager to unleash their best and roar to kitty their maiden WPL title.

The squad appears to be a formidable unit with Australian legend Meg Lanning set to lead the side in the third season. All-rounder N Chirani emerged as the most expensive buy for the two-time runners up and the fifth biggest bid of 2025- amounting to Rs.55 lakhs. The team added four new signings in the auction held at Bengaluru and will aim to strike a healthy balanced side that fosters a confident dressing room.

Delhi Capitals WPL 2025 auction picks:

N Charani – Base price Rs 10 lakh | Secured at Rs 55 lakh

Sarah Bryce – Base price Rs 10 lakh | Secured at Rs 10 lakh

Nandini Kashyap – Base price Rs 10 lakh | Secured at Rs 10 lakh

Niki Prasad – Base price Rs 10 lakh | Secured at Rs 10 lakh

SWOT analysis of Delhi Capitals for WPL 2025:

Strengths:

Delhi’s biggest strength is to have the services of seven-time world champion Meg Lanning in their side. The franchise is poised for another successful season, courtesy of Lanning’s experience and skill as captain. In addition to their renowned captain, Capitals’ relishes a strong top order that combines a heavy foreign flare with Indian quality. The group has a solid foundation – thanks to the dynamic mix, which guarantees stability and potency in the batting lineup.

With South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp, Australia’s Annabel Sutherland and Jess Jonassen as part of the bunch, the Capitals would look to make the most of their experience and outsmart the opposition with their unmatched skill and caliber.

The bowling department looks rock solid on paper with Shikha Pandey, Minnu Mani and Titas Sadhu posing as front-line bowlers. India’s triumphant Under-19 World Cup winning captain Niki Prasad can be the X-factor for the side.

Weaknesses:

A side that is packed with superstars could face some issues with the batting strike rate. Scottish wicketkeeper Sarah Bryce, the team’s sole overseas auction pick, could well play at no.4 followed by Kapp and Jonassen respectively.

The team may well require the middle order to firepower and build the innings on a heavy start provided from the top order. The trajectory from a ‘competitive total’ to a ‘scintillating’ one may well be guided by the crux of the eleven.

The table toppers of the first two seasons may be falling short in terms of mental preparedness for a big encounter, giving the other team an edge in a crunch game. Stalwart Lanning will look to address this shortcoming and lead the team to the podium.

Opportunities:

Freshers in the team will be eager to prove their mettle and sharpen their skills on this big platform. Niki Prasad will be keen to replicate her World Cup heroics, which could pave the way for her to break into the national team.

With the inclusion of an associate player, Sarah Bryce, the team enjoys the luxury to play five overseas players in the starting eleven.

Meg Lanning will look to build a near-perfect eleven to help her team cruise to a maiden title and, personally, to finally get the big monkey off her back.

Threats:

Over-reliance on foreign players in critical positions poses a threat to the team. Relying too much on foreign players could leave the squad exposed and interfere with their combinations, particularly if they don’t perform reliably. Capitals must ensure that the team is more evenly distributed, and the foreign picks click at the right time to take this unit from ‘successful’ to ‘a title-winning’ one.

Trusting his players and the new signings, Sourav Ganguly, Director of Cricket, Delhi Capitals, said, “It was a very good auction for us, to be honest. I’ve been with this WL team for two seasons now, watching them closely and being involved in the auction and everything. We are a far stronger squad than we were last year. With Nandini and Sarah in the squad now, we are looking very good.”

As the brand-new season of WPL knocks the door, the Capitals will look to capitalise on their strengths, minimise their weaknesses, and eliminate any possible threats.

Delhi Capitals WPL 2025 Squad:

Meg Lanning (C), Alice Capsey, Arundhati Reddy, Jemimah Rodrigues, N Charani, Jess Jonassen, Marizanne Kapp, Minnu Mani, Radha Yadav, Shafali Verma, Shikha Pandey, Sneha Deepthi, Taniyaa Bhatia, Titas Sadhu, Annabel Sutherland, Sarah Bryce, Nandini Kashyap, Niki Prasad

Delhi Capitals WPL 2025 Fixtures:

February 15: Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals, Vadodara

February 17: Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Vadodara

February 19: UP Warriorz vs Delhi Capitals, Vadodara

February 22: Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz, Bengaluru

February 25: Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Giants, Bengaluru

February 28: Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians, Bengaluru

March 1: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals, Bengaluru

March 7: Gujarat Giants vs Delhi Capitals, Lucknow

March 13: Eliminator, Mumbai

March 15: Final, Mumbai

Related Articles