<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/dc-delhi-capitals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delhi Capitals</a> is one of the best teams in the Indian Premier League right now. But not too long, their IPL record made them nothing more than a social media punching bag. And it is not that they had all bad seasons until 2019. They did manage to make it to the playoffs thrice (in 2008, 2009, and 2012) but failed to win the title.&nbsp;

A lot has to be put on the management that failed to persist with certain players and team combinations at the right time. There are several stars who first came to the Delhi franchise and were identified by them. But, most of these players only became big names after leaving the franchise. This has resulted in a bunch of player releases which can be termed bizarre.&nbsp;Here is the ranking of-

10 worst player releases by Delhi Capitals in the history of IPL

<img class="size-full wp-image-319767" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Pat-Cummins-IPL-picture.jpg" alt="Pat Cummins" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-319767" class="wp-caption-text">Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: Hindustan Times)</figcaption>

Before <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-5-players-who-can-replace-pat-cummins-in-the-uae-leg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pat Cummins</a> became the owner of one of the biggest IPL contracts ever, the New South Wales pacer had a successful stint with the Delhi franchise. His fairy tale return to the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise in the 2020 season and his subsequent success with him came only after a good season at the Delhi team.&nbsp;

In the 2017 IPL auction, Delhi bought the fast-bowler for INR 4.5 crores. This was also the time when Cummins was returning to international cricket in full flow and looked like a million-dollar thing on the cricket field. In 12 matches of the 2017 season, he picked up 15 wickets with an economy of above 8.&nbsp;

His strike rate with the ball during the tournament was 18, meaning he was picking up a wicket in every three overs. An injury ruled him out of the 2018 season and meant that Delhi was not going to persist with him. At the 2020 auction, he fetched the big bucks to become a Knight Rider again and since then, has not looked back.&nbsp;

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<img class="size-full wp-image-331199" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Imran-Tahir-1.jpg" alt="Imran Tahir" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-331199" class="wp-caption-text">Imran Tahir. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Imran Tahir now has more than 400 T20 wickets and all of that has come with his sheer hard work over the years. He is a leg-spinner, who is a dream for any captain in white-ball cricket. He has all the variations one would want, he has all the experience one would need and he is a brilliant team man who just finds his way to fit in.&nbsp;

Tahir was introduced to the IPL by Delhi. He was bought by them at the IPL 2014 auction. In his very first season, he picked up nine wickets from six matches at a strike rate of 13.88. In 2015, as he was touching the heights in international cricket, he managed to pick 15 wickets in 10 games for Delhi at a strike rate of 14.20.&nbsp;

He managed to play only four matches in 2016 and was released ahead of the 2017 season. Instantly, he found success at the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant where he picked up 18 wickets in 12 matches. He has since gone on to win the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/list-of-purple-cap-winners-in-ipl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">purple cap</a> as well, which he did in the 2019 season for CSK.&nbsp;

<img class="size-full wp-image-339291" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Quinton-de-Kock-1.jpg" alt="Quinton de Kock" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-339291" class="wp-caption-text">Quinton de Kock. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption>

Quinton de Kock is arguably one of the most underrated batsmen in the world. His record in both white-ball and red-ball cricket in the past decade has been too impressive. But he doesn’t receive sufficient praise for it. There was a time when the Delhi franchise had looked at his talent and picked him out at the 2014 IPL auction.&nbsp;

During the four seasons when he stayed at the franchise, de Kock had a few noteworthy performances. Among others was his fantastic <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-de-kocks-100-guides-delhi-daredevils-super-win/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hundred</a> in a run chase at Bangalore’s M Chinnaswamy against Royal Challengers. But he made only 31 appearances in the four seasons for multiple reasons and eventually was let go without being properly utilized.&nbsp;

2018 saw him move to RCB for a brief stint but his real success came when he got a long run in the Mumbai Indians’ top order. In the 2019 and 2020 seasons, he scored more than 500 runs each and helped Mumbai in their successive title triumphs. His added skill of wicketkeeping and experience makes him a solid player who was let go by Delhi at the wrong time.&nbsp;

<img class="size-full wp-image-121256" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Tilakratne-Dilshan.jpg" alt="Tillakaratne Dilshan" width="600" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-121256" class="wp-caption-text">Tillakaratne Dilshan. (Photo by Mark Kolbe-IPL 2010/IPL via Getty Images)</figcaption>

Not too long ago, Tillakaratne Dilshan was the backbone of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/pakistan-afghanistan-series-in-doubt-as-hosts-sri-lanka-go-under-covid-enforced-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sri Lankan </a>batting in white-ball cricket. There was a period between 2009 and 2015 when Dilshan’s stock as a white-ball dasher was at its height. This was driven by his performances ever since his career-changing move of opening the batting.&nbsp;

But, before that happened, Delhi had already got him on board with a contract ahead of the inaugural season in 2008. Though his first appearance was not too good, he turned out to be a key player in the 2009 season. In 14 matches, he made 418 runs at a strike rate of 122.58. Dilshan failed to repeat his performance in the 2010 season.&nbsp;

His underwhelming show made the bosses of the Delhi&nbsp;franchise take the call of releasing him. He traveled to the Royal Challengers Bangalore along with another star of the time, AB de Villiers. Had he not been released one can only wonder if Delhi would have had better outcomes between 2011 and 2017, given their absolutely terrible record in that period.&nbsp;

<img class="size-full wp-image-511189" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Shikhar-Dhawan-playing-the-shot.jpg" alt="Shikhar Dhawan playing the shot" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-511189" class="wp-caption-text">Shikhar Dhawan playing the shot. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

In 2008, the Delhi batting boasted of talents like <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/where-does-shikhar-dhawan-rank-in-the-list-of-left-handed-batting-greats-for-india-in-odi-cricket/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shikhar Dhawan</a>, AB de Villiers, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Gautam Gambhir, and Virender Sehwag. All of these would go on to dominate international cricket at one point or another. But, they never played together after the 2008 season, partly because of a trade which at the time seemed confusing, still understandable.&nbsp;

In the first season, Dhawan was a stand-out player for Delhi. He scored 340 runs at 37.77 with four scores above 50 and a strike rate of 115. By the time’s standards, this was not a bad strike rate as well. But, Delhi decided to trade Ashish Nehra from Mumbai Indians and got rid of the immensely talented 23-year-old Dhawan.&nbsp;

The move had pushed back Dhawan’s career as well as he found it tough to find his ground at Mumbai. But in 2011 when he shifted to Deccan Chargers (the former franchisee of Hyderabad), his career started getting a move on. Delhi has since made up for that mistake by bringing Dhawan back at what has turned out to be the most productive period of his career as a T20 batter.&nbsp;

<img class="size-full wp-image-239301" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Glenn-Maxwell.jpg" alt="Glenn Maxwell of the Delhi Daredevils" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-239301" class="wp-caption-text">Glenn Maxwell of Delhi Daredevils. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/will-ipl-2021-turn-out-to-be-the-year-of-glenn-maxwells-redemption/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenn Maxwell</a>’s reputation as the big show was a lot more prevalent in 2012 than it has been at various stages of his career. But, he was someone who made loud noises at the domestic cricket in Australia and everyone knew that he was capable of extraordinary heights. Delhi’s IPL franchise was quick to take note of the new kid on the block.&nbsp;

He was bought by Delhi at the IPL 2012 auction. Maxwell was a dream for any team in the IPL. He still remains valuable but his key aspect is his handy off-spin along with power-hitting abilities. But, Delhi bought him for big bucks and played him in only two matches. That was the same year when Andre Russell was at the franchise, we will get to that in a while.&nbsp;

But, despite having a solid resume at his disposal, the Victorian was ignored by the Delhi franchise and let go after that season. He once again returned to the franchise in 2018 and was left out again. This time though, the player would have to take the blame upon himself. Despite his performances, Maxwell’s exclusion seems pretty odd for a team that struggled for years.&nbsp;

<img class="size-full wp-image-330024" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Andre-Russell.jpg" alt="Andre Russell" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-330024" class="wp-caption-text">Andre Russell. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption>

Andre Russell made his international debut in 2011 at the World Cup. He was primarily a fast-bowler who could tonk a few sixes towards the end. With time, the world understood that he is much more than just a tonker of the ball at the death. The Delhi franchise took notice of his power-hitting capabilities and got him on board with huge bucks at the IPL 2012 auction.&nbsp;

But, in the 2012 season, Russell wasn’t utilized properly by the franchise. It was mainly due to the fact that Delhi in 2012 had a solid team and didn’t manage to find an overseas slot empty to slip Russell in regularly. The next season, the story was pretty much the same as he spent most of his time at the benches.&nbsp;

In his first two seasons as an IPL player, he had played a total of just seven matches. This is when <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/kkr-kolkata-knight-riders/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kolkata Knight Riders</a> came in and decided to bet on the Jamaican. This was also around the time when Russell was showing his true potential with the bat with performances across the globe. Delhi let go of him at a time when he was about to flourish. Since then, Russell has become synonymous with KKR.&nbsp;

<img class="size-full wp-image-244851" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Gautam-Gambhir-2.jpg" alt="Gautam Gambhir" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-244851" class="wp-caption-text">Gautam Gambhir of Delhi Daredevils. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20-world-cup-2021-gautam-gambhir-picks-the-semifinalists-of-the-tournament/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gautam Gambhir </a>was probably among the first few batsmen in India who figured out how to score consistently in T20 cricket. After being the leading run-scorer for India during their T20 World Cup triumph in 2007, Gambhir ended as the second-highest run-getter in the IPL 2008 season. For most of that season, he had the orange cap on, only for Shaun Marsh to take it away from him at the end.&nbsp;

In that season, he made 534 runs at a strike rate of more than 140. He was the main strength of the Delhi team back then. In the 2009 season, when Virender Sehwag missed a few matches due to injury, Gambhir led the team as well and had played a significant role in their fantastic run through the season. In 2010, he was handed over the full-time captaincy of the franchise.&nbsp;

By now, Gambhir was already making a strong case to potentially become India’s next captain. However, Delhi made a huge call of not retaining him. They instead went back to Sehwag as their skipper, who, a year ago had himself stepped down from the role. The gritty southpaw went on to become Kolkata’s adopted leader and helped them win two titles. Gambhir did return to Delhi in 2018, but he wasn’t the same player after leaving Kolkata Knight Riders.

<img class="size-full wp-image-540198" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/AB-de-Villiers-3.jpg" alt="AB de Villiers" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-540198" class="wp-caption-text">AB de Villiers. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

AB de Villiers arrived in the Delhi IPL team way back in 2008. At the time, ABD was arguably the most exciting young batsman in the world. He had already shown his true potential as a Test match and ODI batsman. It almost feels weird to say but at the time Delhi might have had better batsmen among their ranks who were performing.&nbsp;

In the 2008 season, Shikhar Dhawan, Virender Sehwag, and Gautam Gambhir were the backbones of the batting unit. The South African played only six games and scored his 95 runs at a strike rate of less than 100. But in the 2009 edition in South Africa, ABD smashed his first IPL century. That season he averaged above 51 and his strike rate was above 130 and he has scored 465 runs.&nbsp;

But, AB had another bad season in 2010. 111 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 93 saw him being left out of Delhi’s retention list in the mega auction of 2011. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rcb-royal-challengers-bangalore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Challengers Bangalore</a> paid a hefty INR 5 crore back then to sign the Proteas star. In his first appearance for RCB, he scored an unbeaten 54 runs to help his team win in a tough run chase. A decade later, people can’t think of any other IPL team when they think about AB de Villiers.&nbsp;

<img class="size-full wp-image-540197" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/David-Warner-2.jpg" alt="David Warner" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-540197" class="wp-caption-text">David Warner. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

When <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-david-warner-confirms-his-availability-for-uae-leg-with-a-cryptic-ig-post/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Warner</a> made his international debut for Australia in 2008, he was the first player since 1877 in his country’s history to play at the international level without playing first-class cricket. When he smashed Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini all over the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Delhi franchise in the IPL took notice.&nbsp;

He was bought by them at the IPL 2009 auction. He even spoiled the already set opening combination of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, but his power-hitting ability made it a worthy move. In the first four seasons, he had mixed performances but his two centuries (one in 2010 and one in 2012) had assured that he is capable.&nbsp;

2013 was the year that Warner’s career changed at the international level as well. In IPL, he scored 410 runs and it was by far his best campaign till then. Delhi had persisted with him during his initial struggling days but let go of him ahead of the 2014 IPL auction, just when the world was about to witness his best. Sunrisers Hyderabad picked him up for INR 5.5 crores and the rest as they say is history.&nbsp;

Delhi Capitals is one of the best teams in the Indian Premier League right now. But not too long, their IPL record made them nothing more than a social media punching bag. And it is not that they had

Player releases by DC in IPL history

A deep look at the players and their stints with Delhi suggests that the franchise was good enough to eye the talent but not back it for long enough.

Ranking 10 worst player releases by Delhi Capitals in IPL history

Here are the 10 worst player releases by Delhi Capitals in history of the Indian Premier League, some of which date back to 2010

Ranking 10 worst player releases by Delhi Capitals in IPL history

A deep look at the players and their stints with Delhi suggests that the franchise was good enough to eye the talent but not back it for long enough.

3. Gautam Gambhir