Why Delhi Daredevils Became Delhi Capitals in 2018
Delhi Daredevils became Delhi Capitals on 4 December 2018, nine months after JSW Sports bought half of the franchise from its founding owner, GMR. The new owners wanted a new start: Delhi had just finished bottom of the IPL, and in 11 seasons as the Daredevils they had reached the playoffs only three times. This page explains the change, what happened next, and why the team is going through another reset for 2027.
The Name Change
The franchise unveiled the new name, crest and look at an event in New Delhi on 4 December 2018, ahead of the 2019 season. Parth Jindal of JSW Sports announced it, with GMR's Kiran Kumar Grandhi alongside as co-owner. "We wanted this name to mean something to each and everyone from Delhi," Jindal said, as the ICC reported. The head coach, Ricky Ponting, called it a new start and a new identity. The new crest put a tiger in front of the Parliament building, the red and blue colours stayed, and Shreyas Iyer stayed captain.
Why Delhi Wanted a Fresh Start
The name changed with the ownership. GMR had bought the Delhi franchise for $84 million at the first IPL auction in 2008, and in 2018 JSW Sports agreed to buy half of it, creating today's 50:50 company, JSW GMR Cricket. The results needed changing too. As the Daredevils, Delhi reached the playoffs only in 2008, 2009 and 2012, and finished last three times, in 2011, 2014 and 2018. In April 2018 Gautam Gambhir gave up the captaincy after five defeats in six matches, saying he took full responsibility, and the 23-year-old Shreyas Iyer took over.
What Happened After the Rename
The change of name coincided with the best spell in Delhi's history. Under Ponting and Iyer, then Rishabh Pant, they reached the playoffs three years running, from 2019 to 2021, and in 2020 played their first IPL final, losing to Mumbai Indians by five wickets in Dubai. Since then they have missed the playoffs every season from 2022 to 2026, finishing sixth in 2026, and they are still waiting for a first title after 19 seasons. Ponting left in July 2024 after seven seasons.
| Period | Name | Playoffs | Best finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 to 2018 | Delhi Daredevils | 2008, 2009, 2012 | Semi-finals |
| 2019 to 2026 | Delhi Capitals | 2019, 2020, 2021 | Runners-up, 2020 |
Captains Across the Eras
Virender Sehwag led the Daredevils for most of their early seasons, followed by Mahela Jayawardene, Kevin Pietersen, JP Duminy, Zaheer Khan and Gautam Gambhir. As the Capitals, the side has been led by Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, who captained 43 matches from 2021 to 2024, and, since March 2025, Axar Patel.
The 2027 Reset
In 2024 the two owners agreed to take turns running the teams: GMR the men's side for 2025 and 2026, JSW the women's, with the roles swapping in 2027. The men's team has changed a great deal since the end of the 2026 season:
- Rishabh Pant came back from Lucknow Super Giants in a trade on 23 June 2026, with Kuldeep Yadav going the other way.
- Sourav Ganguly became head coach on 6 October 2026, moving up from director of cricket and replacing Hemang Badani, as Gulf News reported.
- Yuvraj Singh joined as assistant and batting coach on 13 October 2026, his first coaching role. The Daredevils had signed him for a then-record 16 crore rupees in 2015.
- T. Natarajan was traded to Sunrisers Hyderabad on 14 October 2026.
Our Delhi Capitals squad page has the full squad and every change since the season.
The Women's Team
Delhi Capitals also play in the Women's Premier League, and have reached every final since it began in 2023, losing all four: to Mumbai Indians in 2023 and 2025, and to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2024 and 2026. Our guide to women's cricket leagues covers the WPL.
Delhi Capitals Shirts
The 2019 rename brought a new crest; our guide to Delhi Capitals jerseys covers the kits since, and Delhi shirts can come in an IPL mystery box.
FAQs: Delhi Daredevils to Delhi Capitals
When did Delhi Daredevils change their name?
On 4 December 2018, ready for the 2019 IPL season.
Why did Delhi Daredevils become Delhi Capitals?
The new co-owners, JSW, wanted a fresh identity tied to the capital city after years of poor results, including a last-place finish in 2018.
Who owns Delhi Capitals?
JSW GMR Cricket, owned half each by the JSW and GMR groups.
Have Delhi Capitals ever won the IPL?
No. Their only final, in 2020, was lost to Mumbai Indians.
Who is the Delhi Capitals coach for 2027?
Sourav Ganguly, with Yuvraj Singh as assistant and batting coach.
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