Ahead of Delhi Capitals (DC) meeting with top-ranked Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, leg-spin bowling all-rounder Vipraj Nigam admitted that it would be a very tough ask for the side to replace Mitchell Stark, but expressed confidence in them managing to play with the rest of available players. 

DC are at fifth place in the points table with 13 points and their chances of entering the playoffs look a bit more stiff, considering Starc is not coming back to India. Mustafizur Rahman, DC’s newest signing, will come to New Delhi only on Sunday, after playing in Bangladesh’s first T20I against the UAE in Sharjah on Saturday.

“It is very tough to replace a bowler like Mitchell Starc. But we have come back together and we have made a few changes to the team. Basically, we will try to start what we did at the start of the season. We don’t want to feel the effects of the players who are not there. As a team, we will try to play with the available players,” said Nigam in the pre-match press conference.

Asked on DC’s mindset ahead of starting their run of remaining league matches, Nigam said, “It’s nothing like that. It is our home ground. Unfortunately, we have lost 2-3 matches, but it is a fresh start. It was a two-three day break. We are looking at it as a fresh start. Everything is thinking back to how we started our campaign from the first game, and we will try to continue that.”

DC had to be evacuated from Dharamshala, after their game against Punjab Kings was called off early due to air strikes and drones causing blackout in nearby locations. Nigam expressed gratitude to all concerned authorities for bringing the team back to New Delhi and then to their respective homes.

“Everyone knows what the situation was and why it was. But there were some Indian Army people in our team. Many people came to help us to take us home. The situation was normal in the beginning. But after that, they made arrangements for us very easily.”

“The Indian Government and the Indian Army did everything for us. It is better not to call it an experience. But whatever it was, it happened in the past. But I am thankful to the Indian Government and the Indian Army, that they brought us home safely.”

Nigam has been one of the finds for DC in IPL 2025 – picking nine wickets while making 122 runs. He came into limelight due to picking 20 wickets for Lucknow Falcons in the UPT20 league, and followed it by smashing 27 off just eight balls to take Uttar Pradesh over the line against Andhra in the 2024/25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

He talked about the importance of state T20 leagues and performing well in the domestic season across all formats. “I think it is very important – this T20 league and even the state league. What I am seeing in the IPL, we have experienced this in the state league as well.”

“Basically, it is not exactly like that, but it is the same process – T20 games and pressure around. State league is very important. I have been playing in the state league for the past two seasons. I had a very good experience of it. It was very useful for me, and has played a very important role.”

“The domestic season is always important for an Indian player, as there are all three formats and you have to prepare for all of them. If the T20 format starts the season, it is a good experience for you that you are playing T20.”

“But it is not like that in BCCI domestic games – you have to play red ball and then white ball. There are always challenges – you have to switch and change your game for red ball. But it is fun to play like this for the whole season.”

Nigam also talked about growing in the team and having his UP team-mate Kuldeep Yadav around in the DC set-up. “The good thing is that we are from the same state and I have played good matches with him. The experience has been very good. Even the experience of IPL is new. It is my first year and he has been playing for a long time.”

“My experience has been really good here, and it is what the juniors or any other player needs. So, it is going very well and it doesn’t feel that anyone is playing a senior role in the team. They see me as a player and a brother. It is a very good thing for me.”

Nigam signed off by saying him coming ahead of Ashutosh Sharma in one of the matches was down to team strategy. “There’s nothing like that. But according to the situation of every game, the batting order or the changes in the team happens according to the situation. There was only one game where I came before Ashutosh Sharma. But there is nothing like that. It depends on the situation.”