Delhi Capitals start IPL 2026 with fresh hope after finishing 6th in IPL 2025. They are coming with 7 wins and 7 losses. The team is owned by GMR Group and JSW Group. Now they are rebuilding under captain Axar Patel.
The team had ₹21.80 crore to spend in the auction and had 8 empty slots, including 5 overseas slots. They used a smart buying strategy. They got David Miller and Ben Duckett at the base price without competition. They also fought hard to buy Auqib Nabi Dar. They also traded for Nitish Rana.
Delhi IPL Team 2026 Players List: The Complete 25 Man Squad at One Glance
Delhi Capitals built a 25-player squad with 17 retained players, 1 trade player, and 8 auction buys. They spent about ₹103.20 crore on retentions.
| Player Name | Role | Price (₹ Cr) | Status |
| Axar Patel (c) | All-rounder | 16.50 | Retained |
| KL Rahul | Wicketkeeper-batter | 14.00 | Retained |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Bowler | 13.25 | Retained |
| Mitchell Starc | Bowler | 11.75 | Retained |
| T. Natarajan | Bowler | 10.75 | Retained |
| Tristan Stubbs | Wicketkeeper-batter | 10.00 | Retained |
| Mukesh Kumar | Bowler | 8.00 | Retained |
| Auqib Nabi Dar | Bowler | 8.40 | Auction Buy |
| Nitish Rana | Batter | 4.20 | Traded In (from RR) |
| Pathum Nissanka | Batter | 4.00 | Auction Buy |
| Abishek Porel | Wicketkeeper-batter | 4.00 | Retained |
| Ashutosh Sharma | All-rounder | 3.80 | Retained |
| David Miller | Batter | 2.00 | Auction Buy |
| Ben Duckett | Batter | 2.00 | Auction Buy |
| Lungi Ngidi | Bowler | 2.00 | Auction Buy |
| Kyle Jamieson | Bowler | 2.00 | Auction Buy |
| Sameer Rizvi | Batter | 0.95 | Retained |
| Dushmantha Chameera | Bowler | 0.75 | Retained |
| Prithvi Shaw | Batter | 0.75 | Auction Buy |
| Karun Nair | Batter | 0.50 | Retained |
| Vipraj Nigam | Bowler | 0.50 | Retained |
| Madhav Tiwari | All-rounder | 0.40 | Retained |
| Ajay Mandal | All-rounder | 0.30 | Retained |
| Tripurana Vijay | Bowler | 0.30 | Retained |
| Sahil Parakh | Batter | 0.30 | Auction Buy |
Core Retained Players Who Form the Backbone of DC 2026
Axar Patel is the captain and highest paid player at ₹16.50 crore. He bowls economical left-arm spin and improved his batting power in recent seasons. KL Rahul is the main batting star. In IPL 2025, he scored 539 runs in 13 innings with an average of 53.90 and a strike rate of 149. He also scored 1 century and 3 half-centuries.
Kuldeep Yadav is the main wicket-taker. He has taken 62 wickets in 53 matches for DC since 2022. His wrist spin is very dangerous in the middle overs. Mitchell Starc is the main pace weapon. He took 5/35 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2025. T Natarajan is the death bowling specialist, but played only one match in 2025 due to fitness concerns.
Tristan Stubbs scored 300 runs in 13 innings with a strike rate above 150. Mukesh Kumar gives Indian pace backup. Young players like Abishek Porel, Ashutosh Sharma, and Vipraj Nigam add future potential.
The Nitish Rana Trade and What It Adds to the Delhi Capitals 2026 Setup
Delhi traded for Nitish Rana from the Rajasthan Royals. They gave South African wicketkeeper Donovan Ferreira in return. Rana has over 2500 IPL runs with a strike rate above 135. He can bat from No. 3 to No. 6 and can also bowl part-time spin. This gives flexibility in the middle order.
IPL 2026 Delhi Auction Players List: Eight Smart Buys That Complete the Puzzle
Delhi Capitals used ₹21.75 crore from a ₹21.80 crore purse. They bought experience plus young talent. David Miller was bought for ₹2 crore without competition. He is a strong finisher with an IPL strike rate above 140 in death overs. Ben Duckett also came at ₹2 crore. He is aggressive at the top and has T20 strike rates above 150 in franchise leagues. He replaces explosive opener options from previous seasons.
Auqib Nabi Dar was the biggest buy at ₹8.40 crore. He is a fast bowler from Jammu & Kashmir and brings raw pace and wicket-taking ability. Pathum Nissanka gives technical batting balance. Lungi Ngidi and Kyle Jamieson add overseas pace backup. Prithvi Shaw returned at a low price as a risk-free attacking option.
The Steal Deals David Miller and Ben Duckett at Base Price
Delhi Capitals made two of the smartest buys in the IPL 2026 auction. They got David Miller and Ben Duckett for just ₹2 crore each with no competition from other teams. That means they spent only ₹4 crore to get two international stars. This was a steal deal compared to normal auction prices for overseas batters.
David Miller is a very experienced finisher from the South African national cricket team. He has played over 400 T20 matches and scored more than 9400 runs with an average of around 36. He is known for staying calm while chasing big targets. For DC, he will bat in the lower middle order with Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma. That trio can attack bowlers in the last overs and score fast runs.
Ben Duckett is an attacking opener from the England national cricket team. He was picked to replace the explosive opening role left after Jake Fraser-McGurk’s release. Duckett’s T20 franchise strike rate is usually above 150, which means he scores very fast in powerplay overs. He gives DC aggressive starts along with KL Rahul.
Auqib Nabi Dar the ₹8.4 Crore Find and Other Tactical Additions
Delhi Capitals spent big money on Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi Dar. They paid ₹8.4 crore after a bidding fight with other teams. His base price was only ₹30 lakh, so DC paid about 28 times more to secure him. This shows how much they trusted his talent.
Dar played very well in domestic cricket. He took 44 wickets in the 2024/25 Ranji Trophy season. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, he took 15 wickets in 7 matches, including one four-wicket haul. He also made history in the Duleep Trophy 2025 by taking 4 wickets in 4 balls. Overall, he has 125 first-class wickets, 42 List A wickets, and 28 T20 wickets in domestic cricket.
Other auction buys were more balanced. Pathum Nissanka from the Sri Lanka national cricket team gives a technical opening option with a T20I strike rate of around 128. He is good on slower pitches because he can build innings slowly.
Lungi Ngidi from the South Africa national cricket team and Kyle Jamieson from the New Zealand national cricket team were both bought for ₹2 crore each. They give backup pace bowling options.
Prithvi Shaw returned to DC for ₹75 lakh. He is a risky but explosive top-order batter who can score fast if he finds form again. Sahil Parakh is a young domestic player who is kept for future development.
Axar Patel The Captaincy Chapter and What It Means for Delhi Capitals in 2026
In IPL 2025, Axar Patel became the captain and highest paid player. Since joining DC in 2019, he has taken 67 wickets in 94 matches with an economy below 7.5 in the middle overs. His batting improved from a strike rate of 120 to nearly 150. He can now finish matches with big hits. He understands Delhi pitch conditions, where spin helps a lot. The team decided to build around Indian players with overseas stars as support.
Delhi Capitals 2026 Batting Lineup Can KL Rahul, Ben Duckett and David Miller Deliver
Delhi Capitals’ 2026 batting lineup looks balanced with KL Rahul, Ben Duckett, and David Miller leading the attack. KL Rahul gives stability with his ability to score runs and stay at the crease long. Ben Duckett brings aggressive powerplay batting and can score quickly in the first six overs. David Miller is the main finisher who can score in pressure situations. But the team must avoid losing early wickets and build partnerships to make big totals.
Top Order Blueprint KL Rahul Ben Duckett and Pathum Nissanka
In IPL 2026, KL Rahul is the main batter for DC. In IPL 2025, he scored 381 runs in 10 matches with a strike rate of 142.16. He changed his batting style slightly. He now plays more straight shots and drives instead of playing too many off-side shots. And around 70% of his runs came from straight shots in 2025. His strike rate against balls outside off stump reached 154.36.
Ben Duckett has even scored 165 runs off 143 balls in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which was the highest individual score of that tournament at that time. His global T20 franchise strike rate is above 150. Pathum Nissanka adds stability. He has 2574 T20I runs in 87 matches with an average of 31.39 and a strike rate of 128.64. He can play slowly and protect wickets when needed.
Middle Order and Finishing Axis Tristan Stubbs Ashutosh Sharma David Miller
Tristan Stubbs is one of the best death-over batters in the IPL. Since 2024, he scored 363 runs in the last 5 overs with a strike rate of 246.93. He also has an average of 121 and a low dot ball percentage. Against spin, he strikes at 230.55 and against pace at 252.25. About 61% of his runs come in death overs.
Ashutosh Sharma had one historic IPL 2025 knock. He scored 66 not out off 31 balls while chasing against Lucknow Super Giants. That was the highest score by an Indian batter batting at number 7 or lower in a successful chase. DC even scored more than 100 runs from batters at number 7 and below in that match. David Miller adds experience. He has played 433 T20 matches and scored 9418 runs at an average of 36.22.
Delhi Capitals 2026 Bowling Attack: Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, and the Pace Depth
DC built a bowling attack that covers all phases of the game. Mitchell Starc leads new ball bowling. He has 376 Test wickets, 244 ODI wickets, and 79 T20I wickets. In IPL, he has 51 wickets in 40 matches with an economy of 8.21. His best IPL performance was 5/35 in 2025.
Lungi Ngidi gives middle overs pace control. T Natarajan is a death overs specialist with accurate yorkers. Auqib Nabi Dar is the future Indian pace investment with a strong domestic record.
Kuldeep Yadav leads spin bowling. Since joining DC in 2022, he has taken 62 wickets in 53 matches. His googly is very dangerous in the middle overs. Axar Patel also bowls economical spin and leads the team as captain. Vipraj Nigam and Ajay Mandal provide backup spin options.
SWOT Analysis Delhi Capitals IPL 2026 Squad Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats
Delhi Capitals’ main strength is their balanced squad. The team has strong pace bowling depth, good spin control with Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, and very good value finishers like David Miller and Ben Duckett, who can score fast in the last overs. However, there are some weaknesses. The opening pair is still not fully consistent. T. Natarajan’s fitness is a concern since he played very few matches recently, and young players may feel pressure in big IPL games.
The team also has good future opportunities. The Delhi pitch usually helps spin bowling, which benefits Kuldeep and Axar. KL Rahul can change his batting position based on match situations. Young players like Ashutosh Sharma and Vipraj Nigam can become big match winners with time. But injuries to overseas players can disturb the team balance because DC depends on many foreign players. If the team starts poorly in the season, then the management may make some early changes in the squad.
Players Released and Why DC Made These Tough Calls Ahead of IPL 2026
Delhi Capitals made tough release decisions to make their squad more balanced for IPL 2026. After missing the playoffs in 2025, the team kept their core players but removed seven players to free salary space and improve team structure.
Faf du Plessis was released because of age and poor form. He scored only 202 runs in IPL 2025 at an average of 22.44. The 40-year-old also chose to leave the IPL and play in the PSL. Jake Fraser-McGurk was released mainly because he cost ₹9 crore but did not give enough consistent returns. Mohit Sharma was released due to poor performance, taking only 2 wickets in 8 matches.
Donovan Ferreira was traded to bring Indian batter Nitish Rana, giving more local batting strength. Young developmental players like Sediqullah Atal, Manvanth Kumar, and Darshan Nalkande were released to create squad space and allow them to get more playing chances in other teams.
Final Words
Delhi Capitals look stronger in IPL 2026 than in the last season. They now have strong batting, bowling, and all-round depth. KL Rahul gives stability. Miller and Stubbs give finishing power. Starc and Kuldeep lead the bowling.
Axar Patel’s captaincy is based on consistency and strength. If the team stays consistent in pressure moments, Delhi can finally try to win their first IPL trophy. The 2026 season is a big chance for DC to succeed.
