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Delhi had already secured their playoff spot by the time a back injury sidelined Kagiso Rabada. His contribution before the injury was immense; playing 12 consecutive matches, he claimed 25 wickets while maintaining an impressive average of 14.72 and a strike rate of 11.28. With an economy rate of 7.82, his numbers are truly outstanding, especially in a T20 era where batsmen usually hold all the power.
What really stood out this season, however, was his mastery of the final stages of the game. Of his 25 wickets, 19 were taken in the death overs (15-20). He was incredibly lethal during this window, averaging a wicket every seven balls while keeping the scoring rate to around 11 runs per over.
When you compare him to his teammates, the gap is clear: other Delhi bowlers took roughly seven more deliveries to get a wicket and leaked about 11 more runs during those same closing overs. While the rest of the attack didn't perform poorly, it's important to note that they often benefited from Rabada's presence. The relentless pressure the South African applied from one end likely made the other bowlers' jobs much easier.
The real test will be how they cope in his absence. Their first outing without Rabada against Chennai was a disaster; they surrendered 77 runs in the final five overs and managed only one wicket. Chris Morris, Trent Boult, and Axar Patel were completely dismantled. This collapse in the death overs, combined with a batting failure on a difficult Chepauk pitch, led to a crushing 80-run defeat.
Even in their final league game against Rajasthan, they struggled to close the door. Despite reducing the opposition to 70/7 by the 15th over and facing mostly tail-enders—with only a young Riyan Parag remaining—they still let 45 runs slide in the last five overs. Although they chased down 116 easily, the bowling vulnerability remains a red flag. If they don't fix this before the eliminator against Hyderabad, it could cost them the match.
Written by: Prasanjit Dey