The Delhi IPL franchise enters the 2026 season with renewed hope after missing the playoffs by just net run rate in 2025.
DC made smart moves in the auction, spending ₹21.8 crores on eight new players while keeping their core intact.
Let’s explore how Delhi Capitals built their strongest squad yet for the 2026 Indian Premier League season.
Delhi Capitals 2026 Complete Squad
Delhi Capitals Captain 2026
Axar Patel continues as Delhi Capitals captain for 2026.
The 31-year-old Gujarat cricketer leading Delhi franchise led the team well in 2025, nearly taking them to the playoffs.
Why Axar Remains DC Captain:
- Led the Delhi cricket team to 5th place in 2025, missing playoffs by small margin
- Strong relationship with both Indian and overseas players in the Delhi squad
- Excellent tactical understanding of T20 cricket
- Can contribute with both bat and ball consistently for the Capitals team
Captain’s Record:
- Age: 31 years
- IPL Experience: 12 seasons
- India Caps: 78 matches across all formats
- Bowling: Left-arm spinner
- Batting: Useful lower-order runs
Delhi Capitals New Players 2026
The Delhi franchise bought 8 new players during the auction, spending ₹21.8 crores total. Here’s the complete breakdown:
| Player | Country | Role | Price | Why DC Bought |
| Auqib Nabi | India | All-Rounder | ₹8.40 cr | Swing bowler, J&K star |
| Pathum Nissanka | Sri Lanka | Batsman | ₹4.00 cr | Opening option, SL captain |
| David Miller | South Africa | Batsman | ₹2.00 cr | Proven finisher, World Cup winner |
| Ben Duckett | England | Batsman | ₹2.00 cr | Aggressive opener, England regular |
| Lungi Ngidi | South Africa | Fast Bowler | ₹2.00 cr | Pace backup, death bowling |
| Kyle Jamieson | New Zealand | Fast Bowler | ₹2.00 cr | Tall pacer, bounce factor |
| Prithvi Shaw | India | Batsman | ₹0.75 cr | Former DC star returns |
| Sahil Parakh | India | Batsman | ₹0.30 cr | Young Mumbai talent |
- Star Signing – Auqib Nabi: The Jammu & Kashmir all-rounder was pursued by DC and Sunrisers Hyderabad, with his swing bowling providing strategic advantage. At ₹8.40 crores, he’s the Delhi franchise’s most expensive uncapped player ever.
- Value Buys: David Miller and Ben Duckett were both secured at base price of ₹2 crore without competition. Both bring proven international experience to the Delhi cricket team.
- Trade Addition: Nitish Rana joined from Rajasthan Royals for ₹4.20 crores, adding left-handed batting strength to the Delhi IPL squad middle order.
Delhi Capitals Retained Players 2026
The Delhi-based franchise kept 16 players from their 2025 squad. The retention strategy focused on keeping proven performers and young talent.
Key Retentions:
- KL Rahul – Top run-scorer for the Delhi cricket team in 2025
- Kuldeep Yadav – Leading wicket-taker for DC in 2025
- Mitchell Starc – Premium pace bowler from Australia
- Tristan Stubbs – Young South African wicket-keeper batsman
The Capitals team retained their bowling core with Kuldeep Yadav and Mitchell Starc. They also kept wicket-keeping options with Tristan Stubbs and Abhishek Porel.
Delhi Capitals Released Players 2026
DC released Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Manvanth Kumar, Donovan Ferreira, Sediqullah Atal, Mohit Sharma, and Darshan Nalkande.
Major Departures:
- Faf du Plessis – Former captain, age concerns
- Jake Fraser-McGurk – Replaced with more experienced Ben Duckett
- Donovan Ferreira – Traded to RR for Nitish Rana
These releases created budget space for targeted signings while making room for Delhi cricket team squad improvements.
DC Playing XI
Expected Starting XI for Delhi IPL team:
- KL Rahul – Opener, consistent performer
- Ben Duckett – Opener, aggressive approach
- Nitish Rana – No.3, left-handed option
- David Miller – Finisher, proven in pressure situations
- Tristan Stubbs – Wicket-keeper, power hitter
- Axar Patel – Captain, all-rounder
- Auqib Nabi – All-rounder, swing bowler
- Mitchell Starc – Lead pacer
- Kuldeep Yadav – Main spinner
- T. Natarajan – Death bowling specialist
- Mukesh Kumar – Supporting pacer
The Delhi franchise can change the XI based on pitch conditions. Unlike Mumbai Indians‘ top-heavy batting approach, DC has depth throughout the order.
Pathum Nissanka can replace Ben Duckett for more experience. Kyle Jamieson and Lungi Ngidi provide pace bowling depth.
Delhi Capitals Home Ground
Arun Jaitley Stadium Delhi Details:
- Location: New Delhi, India
- Capacity: 41,820
- Pitch: Spin-friendly, especially in afternoon matches
- Advantage: Home crowd support and familiar conditions
The New Delhi venue suits the Delhi cricket team’s bowling attack with Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel thriving on spinning tracks, giving them an edge over visiting teams like Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings.
Delhi Capitals Historical Performance
| Season | Captain | Wins | Losses | Position | Top Performer |
| 2020 | Shreyas Iyer | 10 | 7 | Runner-up | Shikhar Dhawan |
| 2021 | Rishabh Pant | 10 | 6 | Playoffs | Shikhar Dhawan |
| 2022 | Rishabh Pant | 7 | 7 | 5th | David Warner |
| 2025 | Axar Patel | 7 | 6 | 5th | KL Rahul |
The Delhi franchise finished fifth in IPL 2025 with seven wins and six losses, missing playoffs only on net run rate.
The 2026 squad addresses those small gaps that prevented playoff qualification.
FAQs
Who is DC captain 2026?
Axar Patel is the captain of Delhi cricket team. The 31-year-old all-rounder continues from 2025.
Who are Delhi franchise new players 2026?
New signings for the Delhi IPL squad include David Miller, Ben Duckett, Pathum Nissanka, Auqib Nabi, Prithvi Shaw, Lungi Ngidi, Kyle Jamieson, and Sahil Parakh.
How much did Delhi cricket team spend in auction 2026?
DC spent ₹21.8 crores, with Auqib Nabi being the most expensive at ₹8.40 crores.
Who is Delhi Capitals owner?
GMR Group and JSW Sports jointly own the Delhi franchise.
What is DC home ground?
Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi with 41,820 capacity is the Delhi cricket team’s home venue.
Has Delhi IPL team won the tournament?
No, the Delhi franchise reached the final once in 2020 but lost to Mumbai Indians.
Who is Delhi cricket team coach 2026?
Hemang Badani is the head coach for the Delhi IPL franchise in the 2026 season.
Which players did the Delhi franchise retain?
DC retained 16 players including Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mitchell Starc.
What is Delhi IPL squad 2026?
The Delhi cricket team squad has 25 players – 17 Indians and 8 overseas cricketers.
Who are DC released players?
Major releases from the Delhi franchise include Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, and Donovan Ferreira.
What is Delhi franchise jersey color?
The Delhi cricket team wears blue and red colored jerseys as their primary team colors.
When does IPL 2026 start?
The Indian Premier League 2026 season begins on March 26, with the Delhi IPL team hoping to make the playoffs this time.
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