Bringing in an impact player option is part of the game plan. It is a fresh rule, shifting the gears of a match and making it more challenging for the opposition and adding versatility for the IPL team, which can replace one player during any time of the match. With this significant change, players are making their debut quite early rather than waiting in the dressing room or dugout.
Seventeen seasons have gone by, but Delhi Capitals (DC) have not yet won the IPL title. With the intent to reverse their reputation, key impact player options should be on the radar. As the DC squad contains 22 players, utilising the talent of a player holding back his skills in the dugout will be crucial for the entire tournament. Here, we will delve into the list of the top three impact players for DC in IPL 2025.
Delhi Capitals will take on Lucknow Super Giants in their first match on March 24, 2025. DC have seized the opportunity to bring overseas players from South Africa, Australia, and Sri Lanka. Also, the team boasts the presence of players like KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel from the winning Indian squad of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Although some of them may feature in playing XI, it is also important to consider the role impact of players sitting at the back-end as they might be told to bat or ball as per the situation. Before revealing the names and records of the top three impact players, let’s have a look at the DC squad in IPL 2025.
DC Squad for IPL 2025
| Batters | Donovan Ferreira, Faf du Plessis, Karun Nair, Jake Fraser-Mcgurk, KL Rahul (Wk), Abishek Porel (Wk), Tristan Stubbs |
| All-rounders | Axar Patel (C), Tripurana Vijay, Madhav Tiwari, Manvanth Kumar, Ajay Mandal, Vipraj Nigam, Darshan Nalkande, Ashutosh Sharma, Sameer Rizvi, |
| Bowlers | Dushmantha Chameera, Mukesh Kumar, Mohit Sharma, T Natarajan, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav |
Impact Player Options for DC in IPL 2025
1. Mukesh Kumar
As DC have been underperforming in the last few seasons, it makes it urgent to make the bowling side stronger. Mukesh Kumar is a reliable bowler with a right-arm medium bowling style who can be an impact player option in place of a batter to add more variation in bowling while defending the target.
Without impacting the stable top order, Mukesh Kumar can join four precious bowlers, including Axar Patel, to add more flexibility. Mukesh Kumar has had an effective but short journey with the India team in all three formats. Below, you can check his bowling stats in IPL and T20I.
| Mat | Overs | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Avg | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL | 20 | 66.3 | 694 | 24 | 3/14 | 28.92 | 10.44 | 16.63 | 0 | 0 |
| T20I | 17 | 54.0 | 487 | 20 | 4/22 | 24.35 | 9.01 | 16.2 | 1 | 0 |
Mukesh Kumar started off his IPL career with Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023. However, he was most effective in IPL 2024, taking 17 wickets in 10 matches with outstanding performance, earning him 3 wickets for only 14 runs.
2. T Natarajan
Thangarasu Natarajan is auctioned at a whopping price of INR 10.75 Crore to play the role of a bowler. It is possible that he can be a replacement for a batsman playing in the lower order, according to the circumstances, if he is not featured in the playing XI.
Without compromising the depth in batting, the quality of bowling can remain intact. T Natarajan, as an impact player option, brings up strategic flexibility with left-arm medium fast bowling as he is specialised in accurate yorkers. He has been up for both red-ball and white-ball cricket across all formats for the India team but for a limited time period. T Natarajan has made an impactful presence in IPL and domestic cricket as well. You can see his T20I and IPL bowling stats below.
| Mat | Overs | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Avg | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL | 61 | 222.5 | 1969 | 67 | 4/19 | 29.39 | 8.84 | 19.96 | 1 | 0 |
| T20I | 4 | 16.0 | 122 | 7 | 3/30 | 17.42 | 7.62 | 13.7 | 0 | 0 |
T Natarajan has more wickets than the matches he has played in T20I and IPL. He has been able to take three or more wickets in a single match while staying relatively less expensive. His stint as a bowler started with Punjab Kings in 2017, after which he stayed effective with Sunrisers Hyderabad till 2024 before getting auctioned by DC for IPL 2025.
3. Mohit Sharma
As there is depth in the batting line-up, the DC campaign may focus more on bowlers as impact player options. It is unlikely for DC to play with three overseas players, as a maximum of four international players might be seen in the playing XI. In such a case, the impact player option will be an Indian player. Taking the services of renowned IPL player Mohit Sharma in replacement of a batsman while defending the target will be suitable for DC.
Mohit Sharma got associated with DC in 2020, plus he holds international exposure and breathtaking performances for several IPL franchises. He has been featured in 112 IPL matches, grabbing 132 wickets with one five-wicket haul. You can check his bowling stats for T20I and IPL below.
| Mat | Overs | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Avg | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL | 112 | 375.3 | 3256 | 132 | 5/10 | 24.67 | 8.67 | 17.07 | 3 | 1 |
| T20I | 8 | 23.0 | 185 | 6 | 2/28 | 30.83 | 8.04 | 23.0 | 0 | 0 |
Mohit Sharma has been a sensation in IPL, while he has not played much for India on the international stage. He has delivered regular performances while playing with several franchises, including Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, and Punjab Kings.
As Delhi Capitals had a mixed season in IPL 2024, this time around, launching an appropriate player as an impact player may change the equations in IPL 2025.
