Could These Teams Finally Win The IPL?
Will these teams end their title drought?
In the auctions for the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League late last year, three teams threw their hats in to bid for Priyansh Arya. A 23-year-old relatively unknown in the domestic circuit, Arya made a name for himself by scoring over 500 runs in local T20s at a strike rate of over 165. He finally went to Punjab Kings (PBKS) for a hefty ₹3.8 crore.
Competing with PBKS for Arya, who once hit six sixes in an over during a Delhi Premier League match, were Delhi Capitals (DC) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)—all three teams itching to get an extra edge that would win them their first title in 18 seasons. For among all the teams in the IPL since inception in 2008, these are the only teams (both versions of Delhi, Daredevils and Capitals) that have never won the championship, despite coming as close as the final.
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As in all seasons of the IPL, the same set of factors can go right—or wrong—in a team’s fortunes, including leadership, team management, the right blend of players, form and fitness. The success of teams like Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) in winning multiple titles can largely be attributed to their consistent leadership—MS Dhoni for CSK and Rohit Sharma for MI, until recently.
These three title-less teams, having shuffled up a bit in the auctions like the others, will now have new captains, giving team owners new hope for a victorious end to the 2025 season.
Delhi Capitals - Daredevils, finally?
Last year, 21-year-old Australian Jake Fraser-McGurk nearly turned Delhi’s fortunes around with four half-centuries, two of them in less than 15 balls. He was a late addition to the team, after Delhi had a dismal start to their 2024 campaign losing four of the first five matches.
But once Fraser-McGurk came in and blasted 330 runs at a strike rate over 230, Delhi almost made it to the playoffs, leaving fans to wonder “what if?” In the 2025 auctions, Delhi Capitals wisely retained the explosive opening batter, using their right-to-match card to score over PBKS and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
The team announced Axar Patel, who has been associated with them for seven years, as captain, recently. They also got KL Rahul, who boasts an IPL average of over 45 and a strike rate of nearly 135, making him one of the league’s most consistent top scorers. He has led LSG to two playoffs in three seasons.
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DC have also bolstered the squad with fast bowler Mitchell Starc, moving from Kolkata to Delhi for less than half the sum he was paid last season in one of IPL’s incomprehensible player valuations (₹24.75 crore). With T Natarajan and Kuldeep Yadav in the squad, there is more balance to the side.
If Fraser-McGurk can replicate his 2024 heroics, Delhi might just fancy their chances.
Bengaluru's Royals - Challengers this season?
Phil Salt smashed 435 runs last season for Kolkata Knight Riders, averaging nearly 40 and with a strike rate over 180—the kind of firepower RCB needs as they look to regain their batting mojo after the exits of Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis.
The team’s problem has historically been an over dependence on expensive, mostly international batters, at the cost of bowlers and balance. Even with Josh Hazlewood and the experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar in their ranks this season, RCB’s bowling remains a concern. Yash Dayal, who has been retained, gave them some crucial wickets last season but he is yet to prove himself as a match-winner.
Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan has long believed that RCB prioritises individual stars rather than operating as a team. Last year, he pointed out that without a strong team ethic, clearly defined roles and the right culture, they’re not going to win trophies. His argument is backed by RCB’s history of marquee signings—like Yuvraj Singh in the past—often banking too heavily on superstar batters.
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But the appointment of Madhya Pradesh opener Rajat Patidar, a three Test match-old batter with a flair for stylish and aggressive stroke play, as captain, makes things interesting. If he can marry the absence of weight of expectations with his recent exploits in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy, he could emerge as one of the franchise’s best decisions in a while.
Punjab - Kings, but never crowned?
Glenn Maxwell, in his book The Showman, reflects on this 2017 captaincy stint with PBKS, stating that it was hard to figure out how the franchise was allowed to be run so erratically. If PBKS can finally bring some structure to their operations, they might just have a real shot this season.
Their best chance came in 2014 when, riding on Maxwell and David Miller’s form, they reached the final but lost to KKR. With just one other playoff run in 2008, they remain IPL’s weakest performers.
But with Shreyas Iyer taking charge as captain, PBKS could find themselves on a solid wicket in 2025. They spent a packet on him, at ₹26.75 crore, the second highest spend this season (after Rishabh Pant), but with due reason. Iyer took Delhi to the final in 2020, KKR to the title last season and with Ricky Ponting as coach, the two could bring the much-needed stability in decision making.
Shashank Singh was their impact middle order batter last season, with Harpreet Brar as an effective spinner. Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal, who has the highest number of wickets in IPL history (205), make them one of the better bowling sides.
Their batting would probably be the weaker link in the absence of a real match-winner. If Maxwell, who is back on the team after spending some seasons away, can find his touch—PBKS may yet be able to find their first title.
To read more stories from Esquire India's March 2025 issue, pick a copy of the magazine from your nearest newspaper stand or bookstore. Or click here to subscribe to the magazine.