‘Probably assembled the best bowling of this tournament’ – Aakash Chopra on Delhi Capitals’ strong bowling line-up for IPL 2025

Mitchell Starc and Aakash Chopra. (Source – Twitter/X)

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction in Jeddah was a huge success, with teams involved in bidding wars and flashing of huge sums of money to strategically build their squad. Among the franchises that have grabbed attention is Delhi Capitals (DC), particularly for their strong bowling lineup which has been lauded by commentator Aakash Chopra.

So far in the previous IPL seasons, teams have always looked to make the best bowling line-up that can be the difference between championship contention and early elimination. DC seemed to have cracked this code, arranging what could be the most lethal bowling unit of the tournament. 

“They have probably assembled the best bowling of this tournament. You will find Gujarat’s bowling very good. If you leave aside one spinner, Mumbai has one of the best bowling attacks. So let’s settle on the fact that they (DC) have the best death-bowling attack,” he said on his YouTube channel.

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No one has better bowlers for over 15 to 20: Aakash Chopra

Delhi’s bowling strength lies in its death-bowling capabilities. T Natarajan and Mukesh Kumar could potentially make some difference in the crucial final overs. Chopra also mentioned Natarajan’s consistency, seeing that his numbers are one of the best among Indian bowlers. On the other hand, Mukesh has gone on to be a reliable death-bowling specialist for the franchise.

“No one has better bowlers for over 15 to 20. If you check T Natarajan’s numbers and compare them with all other Indian players, you will find that he is very, very good, and last year was also good. Mukesh Kumar’s stature has grown a lot. He has done death bowling for this franchise and done very well,” he added.

The acquisition of Mitchell Starc is perhaps the most talked-about addition to their bowling arsenal. According to Chopra, Starc joined the team after taking a significant pay cut. At INR 11.75 crore, he is not just a financial bargain but a massive boost to DC’s pace bowling department. The side has also got the services of Mohit Sharma.

“They have bought Mitchell Starc, and that turns out to be a steal. He has taken a 50 percent pay cut. He had to come into the big auction this time. As soon as you come in the big auction, your price is halved. So he had to take a pay cut but they got Mitchell Starc. They also have Mohit Sharma,” Chopra continued.

The spin department is equally strong, with Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav forming a deadly duo that could cause significant damage in the middle overs. These two spinners have brought a level of quality that is rare in the IPL. On the small, flat pitch of Arun Jaitley Stadium, their ability to control the game could be crucial.

“Delhi has the best spin bowling of this tournament, and interestingly enough, they didn’t need the auction for that because they have Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. No team has eight overs of this kind of spin, and that is why both of them were retained. They were given a lot of money and asked to stay. On the small ground and flat pitch in Delhi, Arun Jaitley Stadium, a lot of sixes are hit. You get exposed if you don’t have quality there. Quality is the only thing that separates you from the others, and the two spinners here are of absolute gold-dust quality,” Chopra concluded.